The Story/Hela

The Story – A volunteer arrives back from working in a refugee camp to discover she is now an “enemy of the people.” Arrested and imprisoned for her actions, the only way to maintain her sanity in a world turned upside down is to discover the identity of the mysterious interrogator from her past. Inspired by Tess’s work with refugees from Assad’s jails and Libyan prisons, The Story is a psychological thriller set in a Kafkaesque world that interrogates the language of ‘othering’ and the stories we tell ourselves to justify violence. Is mental torture worse than physical? And how long can we last before our loyalty – and sanity – splinters and snaps? The Story is a disquieting exploration of moral condemnation and personal responsibility that keeps the audience guessing to the very end. Hela – Erin, a young mother, has lost her son but no one will listen. Driven and desperate, she must find him by any means necessary. Waiting patiently for the right moment, now is the time for action, answers and justice. In a futuristic world of information and revolt, justice is determined – like everything else – by an algorithm. In this dystopian Wales, the most odious form of violence is protected, and the lines of justice become blurred. Hela asks whether our obsession with data can truly be trusted? Can deep seated pain ever be defused? And how far we are willing to go to see justice happen? Winner of The Other Room’s Violent Burns Playwright Award, Mari Izzard makes her playwriting debut with this dark and unsettling tale. Hela leaves no rock unturned in this tale of dirty family secrets and vigilant justice.