National Theatre Playscripts: Emil and the Detectives

On his first train journey alone to Berlin, the young Emil is robbed by a mysterious stranger. Emil thinks he has lost everything and the play follows his attempts to track down the thief. However, he is not alone in this endeavour. He teams up with a gang of young detectives who try to solve the mystery together.

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Working in partnership with the National Theatre, these new playscripts bring the theatre alive in the classroom. Each play has been carefully selected to ensure maximum impact and relevance to students, while the activities and teaching support are underpinned by National Theatre strategies so that teachers can feel confident using these approaches. Vibrant production images and the 'Making the play' section show how the play is brought to life on stage while the
activities combine a focus on English skills with the play as a perfomance. Set in the 1920s, Emil and the Detectives tells the tale of Emil, a young boy sent alone by train to
Berlin. Excited to be travelling on his own for the first time, he becomes suspicious of a fellow passenger who later robs him. Not to be outdone, Emil teams up with a band of children turned detectives and sets out to track the robber and get his money back, leading to a hair-raising chase across Berlin.