Tessa is a teacher… or writer… or teacher… Not qualified for much, at 25, Tessa is a failed fringe writer, a sponge for her partner and tasked with inspiring the future with a GCSE class more focused on her demise than their exams. Mid-Twenties angst is real. With no answers, can Tessa, really, teach anyone… anything?” Growing pains, is a comedic look at the struggles of your mid-twenties and the hidden complexities of the public education system. The play follows comprehensive school teacher Tessa, who is a reluctant educator and a rejected visionary. Growing pains reflects on the difficulties of growing up and finding your place (whatever your age) and looks at the very human and systemic problems that make universal education so hard to get right. Comedy is often found in the harshest places… and nowhere’s harsher than a GCSE drama classroom dealing with teenagers. It’s not an easy job being a teacher… you could say it’s painful.