Saving the World One Play at a Time

In June, S-27, the winner of Amnesty International’s first Protect The Human Playwriting Competition, will open at the Finborough Theatre, Earl’s Court, for a four-week limited season.

The play, which runs from 9 June to 4 July, was inspired by events that took place at the infamous S-21 prison in Cambodia and by the work of the photographer Nhem En, a young soldier responsible for taking the ID photos of thousands of people before they were tortured and killed by the Khmer Rouge.

Playwright Sarah Grochala draws on prison records and interviews with detainees and Khmer Rouge cadres to create a startling and affecting drama. Sarah Ben-Tovin, Events Producer at Amnesty, comments on the decision to select S-27 as the winner of the first competition: ‘S-27 is a compelling piece of theatre which Amnesty International awarded for its ability to illuminate the horrific crimes committed in Cambodia at that time, while informing and engaging the audience.’

S-27 will star Brooke Kinsella, best-known for her portrayal of Kelly Taylor in Eastenders but in the news more recently for her active campaigning against knife crime following the murder of her younger brother, Ben Kinsella, after a night out at a North London pub. S-27’s run at the Finborough coincides with the one-year anniversary of the young man’s death. Castings also announced include Pippa Nixon, Jack Pierce and Tom Reed.    
Director Stephen Keyworth returns to the Finborough for the third time, following the success of 2007’s Fanny and Faggot, and Dog Well Done.

– by Jo Caird