National Theatre confirms new verbatim play ”Grenfell: in the words of survivors”

The National Theatre has announced a new verbatim play in collaboration with people and organisations from the North Kensington area in London.

Entitled Grenfell: in the words of survivors, the piece will shine a spotlight on experiences of community members, including survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy itself.

Written by Gillian Slovo (Another World: Losing our Children to Islamic State), based on years of in-depth conversations with those impacted, the play will run in the Dorfman Theatre from 13 July to 26 August 2023.

It will be presented in three parts: first-hand accounts from community members before the tragedy, then during the night itself and finally, a short film (made in collaboration with TEA films) to represent the voices of the survivors and the bereaved as they continue their campaign for justice.

Slovo commented: “It has been my great privilege to help put the words of a group of survivors and bereaved onto the National Theatre stage. I learned a tremendous amount about why the tragedy of Grenfell happened, but even more importantly I learned about a community which banded together when the state, both big and small, failed them. I ended up understanding that the story of Grenfell is not about a single event, but about the economic and political structures in which we live and how as a society we let this happen.”

The cast includes Ash Hunter, Houda Echouafni, Jackie Clune, Joseph Alessi, Keaton Guimarães-Tolley, Michael Shaeffer, Mona Goodwin, Nahel Tzegai, Pearl Mackie and Rachid Sabitri.

Under the direction of Phyllida Lloyd (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) and Anthony Simpson-Pike (The P Word), the creative team also features set and costume designer Georgia Lowe, lighting designer Azusa Ono, sound designer Donato Wharton, video designer Akhila Krishnan, composer Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, movement director Chi-San Howard, casting directors Chandra Ruegg and Alastair Coomer CDG, voice and dialect coach Hazel Holder and staff director Aaliyah McKay.

The National Theatre will ensure that half the tickets at each performance will be priced at £20 or less, with tickets under £10 made available through specific targeted outreach programmes and the residents of North Kensington being invited to watch the production for free.

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