REP MAKES DRAMA OUT OF LOZELLS CRISIS

20-03-2008

The Lozells Riots of 2005 which left two people dead are being turned into a stage play by Birmingham Rep.

Six writers – all female, from diverse backgrounds - have been commissioned to fashion a drama called “These Four Streets” based on interviews with people who live in the area.

It will be produced in 2009, and tour across the Midlands.

Rachel Kavanaugh, the Rep’s Artistic Director explained: “We don’t intend the play as a verbatim account of what happened or to examine who was to blame, but as an exploration of the issues underpinning the disturbances, as well as a response to them, from a distinctive, female perspective that was perhaps lost at the time.

The Lozells riots happened in October 2005 after reports of the rape of two black girls by a gang of Asian men.

Although these allegations were never substantiated, the situation saw long-simmering tensions between the communities come to a head, with a weekend of deadly rioting.