How To Break Out of a Detention Centre – Riverside Studios

“I was born in a strange century where people are taken to jail because they were born with a heart that beats for honesty and justice” – Nawal el Saadawi (Memoirs from the Women’s Prisons, 1984). It is with deep solidarity that the production paid tribute to women in detention centres in the UK, and it is with tremendous honesty that art consolidated with social causes brings justice to women in detention, choosing to sensibilise the public’s eye rather than choosing to stay silent. Allowing visibility for women suffering because of multiple systems of oppressions for a staged production is an empathetic choice by nature.

How To Break Out of a Detention Center? A compelling world premiere of a female migrant led international co-production from BÉZNĂ Theatre and Romanian theatre company Giuvlipen, directed by Nico Vaccari, written by Sînziana Cojocărescu and dramaturged by Mihaela Drăgan performed by Lizzie Clarke, Mihaela Drăgan, Zita Moldovan and Alaa Taha that tackles the themes of resistance, solidarity among women, racism, discrimination, righteous indignation, what it means to live in the echo of pain, white guilt, colonialism, while taking into consideration the notion of intersectionality, inclusivity and visibility.  

It was amidst the traumatic experiences of detachment and sorrow that the actors amazingly conveyed some of the strongest emotions of pain in detention. For Faiza, who experiences miscarriage and the process of letting go of her “new born” that came out as blood while battling suicide, Maria whom the court forbid to see her children, Elena who struggles with internalized racism and Kelly the witness of these dehumanized processes who wants to do something about it. I was mesmerized by the actor’s performances that rendered raw emotions of loss, pain, unity and hope. The actor’s performances paid tribute to these women in detention waiting for their trials or for a sign to stay alive. The intermingling of digital tills, paint with the acting adds to the creativeness of how this heart breaking topic came into existence on stage.  I could not help but think; how does one generate meaning from pain and what to do with this generated meaning?

What I would deeply like to acknowledge is the effort put to give room to different voices in their mother tongues; giving possibility to people who speak these languages to relate on an emotional level as well as, for once, obliging an English-speaking audience to meet the detained women middle ground.

I appreciated that the piece laid out the exact problematics revolving around the state of being detained; inadequate access to medical help, to mental help, the system’s incapacity to face hunger strikes, self-harm, suicide, etc. looking at people in detention as “caged animals”, sensibilizing the audience and responsabilises it now that we are aware of that.

The production’s work led to an outstanding piece. Huge credits to the technical team, the creative team, the research team and especially to all the women from Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Iran, Irak and Palestine who inspired this work and made it possible.

Playing until 8th March, https://riversidestudios.co.uk/

Reviewer: Marita Matar

Reviewed: 1st March 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★