Thursday, July 03, 2008
Asylum Dialogues – the brand new play from Actors for Human Rights
Launched during Refugee Week with performances in Bristol, Derby, Liverpool and London, Asylum Dialogues is a newly scripted production by Sonja Linden, performed by Actors for Human Rights (previously Actors for Refugees) in conjunction with Refugee Action.
Asylum Dialogues tells the stories of three asylum seekers’ experiences in coming to the UK and their relationships with the British people who give them friendship and support. Every word of dialogue is drawn from real life conversations with those whose experiences are recounted. The performance is a thought provoking look at the lives of asylum seekers and refugees in this country and the positive interactions between them and British people.
Mary was pregnant with twins when she came to the UK, after she fled Uganda fearing for her life from her involvement with the opposition movement. She and her two children were moved from place to place during the years her case was being decided. Her encounters with many kind strangers included her neighbour in Glasgow who hid her when immigration officials came to remove her and her children by force.
Mike met Patrice when he became a befriending visitor at a detention centre. Patrice escaped to the UK from Cameroon after refusing to carry out murders for powerful political figures. Mike and Patrice’s friendship grew during the visits, and when Patrice’s future in the UK was in jeopardy, Mike did everything within his power to help Patrice stay.
I attended the London performance and found it moving and inspiring, emotionally charged but often amusing. The actors sat in a semi-circle on a bare stage and this simplicity added to the performance’s power. The performance was fast paced and engaging, switching back and forth between the different characters’ stories, really capturing the audience’s attention, with six actors each playing several characters.
Sonja Linden and Actors for Human Rights were behind Asylum Monologues, launched last year, which has been seen by 8,000 people all over the UK and
Asylum Dialogues is now available by request through Actors for Human Rights
Asylum Dialogues provides an easy to use resource to organise an event around, raising awareness of the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees in the UK.
Asylum Dialogues was reviewed by Catherine, STAR Regional Coordinator
Posted by Natasha King on 03/07/2008 at 01:59 PM
in Refugee News
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