Full casting has been announced for the world premiere of Any Means Necessary by Kefi Chadwick, Nottingham Playhouse's first major production of 2016. In 2011 a major legal scandal broke as it was revealed that that an undercover police officer had for years been living amongst political activists in Nottingham. Not only had he been spying on legitimate protest groups but, in his undercover persona, he had been engaging in long term intimate relationships with individuals within. Dismissed by police as a 'rogue officer', it soon became clear that he was not alone and many undercover police had been spying on activists for decades, forming supposedly loving relationships and even fathering children with the female members of these groups. All this was fully sanctioned and funded by Special Branch. With the subsequent collapse of high profile legal cases following these revelations, in July 2015, Lord Justice Pitchford opened a public inquiry into undercover policing.
As The Pitchford inquiry continues, Nottingham Playhouse announces a brand new commission by the writer Kefi Chadwick. Any Means Necessary which opens in February next year, is inspired by interviews with many of those involved and drawn from unprecedented access to the women and legal teams involved. This is a fictionalised account of what happened, how the abuse was perpetrated, the emotional costs it wrought and the victims' drive to find out the truth about the men who had, for years, systematically and devastatingly deceived them.
The cast comprises Beatrice Comins (Fantabulosa - BBC, Coronation Street - ITV), writer and actress Lily Lowe-Myers,
Jo Dockery (Great Britain - NT, Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night Time- West End, Samuel Oatley (New Tricks - BBC, Partners In Crime- BBC), Louise Mai Newbury (RSC, Bristol Old Vic), Kate Sissons (Vampire Diary - feature film) and Nick Karimi (Warhorse - West End, Titus Andronicus - Shakespeare's Globe)
Kefi Chadwick says:
"These cases show an incredible abuse of human rights and civil liberties and are one of the biggest police scandals of all time. To be able to bring the events to life on the stage at Nottingham where one of the worst offenders lived and spied is a great privilege and an important part of the victims right to have their stories heard."
Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse and director of Any Means Necessary Giles Croft says:
"We are thrilled to be working with Kefi on the telling of this important story which has local, national and international implications. The beauty of her approach is to centre the drama on the human cost of the undercover police operations and to examine the effects on the families on both sides of the divide."
Kefi Chadwick is a multi award winning writer. Her play, Mathematics of the Heart, won Best New Play at Brighton Festival in 2011 and went on to a sell out run at Theatre503, London in 2012. Her two short plays, SexLife and La Petite Mort played at Latitude Festival and in Edinburgh in 2012 and 2013. She also created a bespoke piece of theatre for Latitude in 2013 which then went on to be developed by the
Arts Council and resulted an interactive show called How Was It For You? that showed at Brighton Dome, Feb 2015. Her first short film, Cregan, won at Waterford film festival and screened nationally and internationally. Her second, Girlpower, won Best Comedy Short at Aesthetica film festival 2014 and again screened nationally and internationally. Her current short, SexLife, has screened at a number of festivals including Tribeca, Encounters, Cambridge, and San Luis Obispo and Emden. It will screen in Washington and Milwaukee later this year. Chadwick is currently developing her first feature film with Ignition films.
In 1985, Giles Croft was appointed as Artistic Director of the
Gate Theatre, London. In 1989, he joined the National Theatre as Literary Manager before becoming Artistic Director of the Palace Theatre, Watford, in May 1995. Giles became Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse in 1999. His most recent productions include: Arcadia; The Second Minute; Charlie Peace: His Amazing Life And Astounding Legend; The Kite Runner, and Of Mice and Men. Giles is also a playwright and his work has been produced widely in the UK and Europe.
Nottingham Playhouse has been one of the United Kingdom's leading producing theatres since its foundation in 1948. It welcomes over 110,000 customers through its doors each year and creates productions large and small from timeless classics and enthralling family shows to adventurous new commissions, often touring work nationally and internationally. 2013 marked Nottingham Playhouse's 50th anniversary in its current home. During those 50 years the Playhouse stage has played host to many outstanding performers and helped create a generation of dedicated theatre goers. Recent notable productions include The Kite Runner, The Threepenny Opera, Posh and the acclaimed adaptation of 1984 co-produced with Headlong.
Friday 5 February - Saturday 20 February 2016
ANY MEANS NECESSARY
By Kefi Chadwick
Directed by Giles Croft
Nottingham Playhouse
Wellington Circus Nottingham NG1 5AF
Tickets: £10.50 - £28.50 BOX OFFICE:
0115 941 9419http://www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
Age Guidance: 14+ (contains strong language)
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