"Ripple Effect"

1 October 2026

3 mins 52s

Stars shine.

When we first saw the name NASSA, we thought Donald Trump had renamed the US space agency the National Aeronautics and Super Space Administration (because everything's super in Donny's world). Much to DAVID's relief, NASSA stands for the National All Star Skills Academy, a Newham-based charity that's seen too many kids go off the rails, never to get back on track.

Directed by Darius Norowzian, 'Ripple Effect' is anchored by a poem written by Todd Von Joel and performed by Aicha Thérése. She talks of vulnerable youngsters reduced to "care home statistics" or left "permanently fizzing, bubbling" on the streets of London, where it's only a matter of time before the police catch up with them.

This is where the advertised charity comes in. It's not a quick fix for the teens played by Jayson Mankenda and Camille Genhart (both well-cast)—they're hesitant to engage at first, but it's hard to resist the simple joy of scoring a basket ("My cheeks are hurting because my teeth are showing, and not clenched and unblessed").

Basketball’s only part of the deal, however; for Mankenda and Genhart’s characters, it’s mentoring that makes all the difference. Thérése’s delivery becomes more upbeat as a result, reflecting the hope that's entered the cast's lives at last. The stars have aligned for them, but there are many, many others for the charity to focus on now.

UK

Charities