Greed, corruption, discrimination, cruelty, disregard for human life—all these words describe what happened to the residents of London’s Grenfell Tower, and you hear the story in their own words when you step through the doors of St. Ann’s Warehouse (45 Water Street in Brooklyn) and witness “Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors,” a devastatingly real-life and tragic story.
This new play by Gillian Slovo tells the true stories of the people who survived the high-rise fire in Grenfell Tower in North Kensington in London, England, on June 14, 2017. The program for this production provides blow-by-blow timelines that give a history of the public housing building in the Kensington and Chelsea sections of London. Step-by-step you can read about the project being in disrepair, and tenants of Grenfell Tower starting a blog to campaign for repairs to be made. This play will have you engrossed as the actors’ words are the actual statements from the survivors.
Because this play is about a real event and something that directly affected real people, it is poignant that it begins with the actors telling you their names and whom they are playing, and give a brief description of that person. Every moment is packed with stunning, detailed information about a sense of a community where neighbors looked after each other. There’s a sense of comfortability and family history as you get to meet and know these people—some who lost their loved ones and are here to tell both their personal stories and those of the family members they lost.
Slovo’s work is a call to action because the families affected have still not gotten justice. The production reveals that families in this building, although labeled as poor, were of varying financial and ethnic backgrounds. There are also accounts of how racism and cruelty were alive and well, making people terrified for their lives.
The characters introduced to the audience are not just the people who were affected, but also the executives of the companies who were responsible for what occurred and did not have any concern about the part their company played in 72 people dying and everyone else being displaced.
This superbly talented ensemble of actors plays the survivors and other roles as well, including firefighters and corporate executives of the companies who used inferior products for the renovation work in Grenfell Tower.
The company of actors and the survivors they portray are also in the program. This extraordinary cast includes Joe Alessi, Gaz Choudhry, Jackie Clune, Houda Echouafni, Mona Goodwin, Keaton Guimaraes-Tolley, Ash Hunter, Rachid Sabitri, Michael Shaeffer, Dominique Tipper, and Nahel Tzegai.
When you have lived through the stories from the fire, which, thank God, you don’t see images of, a screen is lowered and you see videos of interviews with the survivors whose stories you have just experienced. What an amazing, touching, and effective moment that is.
This is followed by everyone in the audience getting to stand up for these victims, participate in a silent march, and hold picket signs in memory of this tragedy. You get to ask for justice. You will definitely remember all the emotions that you felt during this unique theatrical experience.
The play is inspirationally co-directed by Phyllida Lloyd and Anthony Simpson-Pike.“Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors” only plays through May 12. Make your way to St. Ann’s Warehouse to experience a production you will never forget. For more info, visit stannswarehouse.org.