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Loretta lives in a small flat in Leeds which she shares with her fifteen year-old brother, Garth. Across the landing, another tiny flat is shared by five asylum seekers, including Zimbabwean Eric and his father. When Eric and Loretta meet, a spark of romance arises between them, much to the disgust of Garth.
When his sister refuses to listen to him, Garth determines to break up his sisters relationship with Eric. He begins by spreading accusations that Eric is responsible for a series of rapes that have been occuring in the area, causing trouble him at the car wash where he works, run by the loudmouthed braggart Gary.
Garth's meddling raises tensions and leads to violence, almost destroying the very thing he was trying to protect.
This was a semi-staged performance with the action on the stage being supported by captions (eg. time and location) and occasional scenes projected onto a screen suspended behind. The stage itself was essentially split in two. Two doors standing opposed in the centre of the stage represented the hallway between the two flats, to the left was Garth and Loretta's abode, to the right was the home of the asylum seekers - each equipped with various furniture and props. Other scenes generally were generally played out front centre-stage.
This is a powerful play addressing issues of racial hatred and cultural tensions. As the pressures on the asylum seekers build, we see the cracks begin to appear in their fragile relationships threatening to tear them apart. Some of the dialog did not wholly ring true (Garth calling Eric a 'Paki' for example - in my experience bigots have no problems in selecting the correct racial epithet) but on the whole was absorbing and produced some excellent comic moments.
Contains strong language, violence, and some sexual references.
Louise Howells (ally in Hollyoaks) played Loretta, a down to earth northern lass, short on manners but big on compassion, with an endearing delicacy. David Gyasi as Eric was the leader of his little group, quick to anger as he strove to cope with the exploitation and discrimination leveled against them. The thick African accent with which he played the role added realism without detracting from the clarity of meaning. Des O'Malley performed admirably as the gangling Garth and Nick Bagnall was a standout as the brash exploitative car wash owner Gary. He garnered many of the funnier lines and delivered them with impeccable poise and timing. Also worthy of mention in the small cast were Trevor Laird as Albert (Eric's father) and Agron Biba as the angry Mehmet.
This is the first play written by Alice Nutter, formerly of the radicalist band Chumbawamba, to be professionally produced. With writing like this, it won't be the last. A sweet and sour pastiche of life on the fringe.