The Riots
Thu 17 Nov 2011 – Sat 10 Dec 2011
by Gillian Slovo from spoken evidence
BBC News reviews the reviews – click here to read more.
‘clear, gripping and necessary’
‘a thought provoking and admirably even-handed play’
‘this two-hour piece by novelist Gillian Slovo, deftly sculpted from the spoken evidence of those involved… the result is an absorbing experience’
‘this powerfully performed piece makes you think without making your mind up for you’
‘this lean, lively two-hour drama… offers a punchy, well-acted… explanation of how events in August began’
‘a provocative drama… this is essential theatre, expertly done’
When the Government originally refused a Public Inquiry into the riots that shook our cities this Summer, the Tricycle mounted its own.
From tweets by taxi drivers, to moment-by-moment accounts by riot police, The Riots builds a real-time picture of events as they unfolded. And then, from interviews with politicians, police, teachers, lawyers, community leaders, as well as victims and on-lookers, we analyse what happened, why it happened, and what we should do towards making a better future for ourselves and our city.
Astonishing stories and equally astonishing conclusions told by the many voices that have been stirred up by the riots.
The Tricycle has a long and distinguished record for its verbatim theatre productions. Nicolas Kent and Gillian Slovo were part of the team responsible for Guantanamo – Honor Bound to Defend Freedom which transferred from the Tricycle to the West End and New York.
‘The Tricycle consistently punches above its small size and has become known as something of a powerhouse for political theatre and verbatim inquiry plays’
Cast includes Sarah Ball, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Grant Burgin, Dona Croll, Christopher Fox, Rupert Holliday Evans, Clementine Marlowe-Hunt, Okezie Morro, Cyril Nri, Tom Padley, Alan Parnaby, Selva Rasalingam, Steve Toussaint and Tim Woodward.
Creatives include Nicolas Kent (Director), Polly Sullivan (Designer), Charlie Hayday and Jack Knowles (Lighting Designers) and Sarah Weltman (Sound Designer).