After reading a report that black pupils from inner city schools are being failed by the education system, IT consultant Joe (David Oyelowo) decides to become a teacher.
When he is falsely accused of assaulting one of the pupils in his care (Charles Mnene), Joe is suspended from work pending an investigation.
He observes black society as a detached onlooker at first, mocking the apparent cultural differences he perceives from the perspective of his new 'white' persona.
Through the charity he receives he manages to find gainful employment as a handyman and meets Heather (Nikki Amuka-Bird) who helps in his eventual rehabilitation into black society.
The play's title derives from the phrase shooting the messenger; it is told entirely from the perspective of the central character who frequently addresses the audience.