Esther Baker will direct Hassan Abdulrazzak’s timely new play, The Special Relationship, a dark and biting satire which exposes the complex and heart-breaking stories behind the deportations of ex-prisoners from the US.
A grain of cocaine, a digit on a breathalyser, a forged cheque, a DEA sting or murder one?
Caught in the transatlantic tango between Trump and May and proudly presented by a gun-toting Immigration officer, these are verbatim stories of double punishment and separation.
Gripping accounts of justice and separation brought to vivid dramatic life in a fast-paced and theatrically daring production using savage comedy, surreal metaphor and verbatim testimony from those who ended up on the wrong side of the criminal justice system.
Developed from interviews with ex-prisoners and experts in immigration and criminal law, the award-winning playwright Hassan Abdulrazzak carves a rich dramatic narrative and uncovers vital questions around identity and place as he gets behind the political rhetoric of those caught up in the quagmire of immigration detention and deportation.
The cast includes Miranda Foster (The Man/Dance Nation), Ricky Fearon (Othello/Nine Night) and Duncan Wiseby (Dead Ringers/London Road) with further casting to be announced.
The Special Relationship was researched in collaboration with Prisoners Abroad, a UK charity supporting British citizens imprisoned overseas and returning to the UK.
The Special Relationship is at Soho Theatre 26th February to 21st March 2020.
