“I was so disgusted. The whole system failed. It wasn’t only the UN but the whole international community. Tens of thousands of civilians were slaughtered by the Sri Lankan government and the world just moved on. It just passed us by”.  -  a UN aid worker. 

What happened in Sri Lanka in 2009 during the culmination of the decades-long conflict between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government is one of the great under-reported war stories of the past 30 years. The UN estimates that between 10,000 and 40,000 civilians trapped in the war zone were killed. The scale of the war crimes committed on both sides were deeply shocking, but for a number of complex reasons, the events passed the world by – at the same time as the Israeli attack of Gaza was receiving international condemnation and attention. The Sri Lankan government have, as yet, not provided an adequate account of what happened in the war zone, but there are approximately a quarter of a million civilians who managed to survive and while going on the record as an individual might be too dangerous for them, our aim is to provide a platform for their collective story and to contribute to a full reckoning over the abuses committed.

We are interested in telling the stories of those who witnessed the endgame of the war first-hand in an effort to counter both the intransigence of the Sri Lankan government to adequately investigate the war crimes committed and also to powerfully communicate to the general public the largely hidden story of those final months.  

We have established a working relationship with British journalist Frances Harrison, who has spent the last year tracking down and interviewing survivors. Frances has conducted multiple in-depth, harrowing interviews with eye-witnesses about the reality on the ground. The horrific, abrupt end to the war saw people witnessing their family members die, but most could do nothing but run, forced to abandon their bodies. The mental health impacts on the survivors have been profound.

In order to do justice to the horror, magnitude and desperation of these stories, and to set them in a context which sheds light on the complexity of the long-standing internal conflict, our vision for this piece is very ambitious in scale. We are currently in a research and development phase and plan to have the first draft of the script completed by autumn 2012. In essence, we are seeking to create a large-scale production which will move, challenge and shock audiences and shed some much needed light on an appalling chapter in our recent history that has largely been ignored by most of the world.

Writers Christine Bacon and Noah Birksted-breen are now in the process of writing the first draft of the script. Production scheduled for Autumn 2013.

For those interested in finding out more about what happened in Sri Lanka in 2009, the following list is a good place to start:

The Cage (2011) by Gordon Weiss

Channel 4 documentaries – Sri Lankas Killing Fields

The Sri Lanka Campaign

Click here >> To see the pictures of the R&D

iceandfire‘s new production, inspired by the  rise in the number of ‘paupers’ funerals‘ in the UK, is currently in development. We want to find out more about the stories of those who end their lives in such an anonymous way, often with no friends or family to mark their passing.  Our new play will excavate the cycles of poverty and deprivation that define the lives of many urban citizens, but it will also celebrate their lives and their contribution to society.

Photo by Zbigniew Tomasz Kotkiewicz

iceandfire are collaborating with a collective of writers, film-makers, poets, designers and performers, led by director Douglas Rintoul to make a visually stunning multimedia work developed for non-conventional theatre spaces. (See more info about the Creative Team) On a journey around the churchyards and secret spaces of London, we want to uncover how our recent history has shaped our attitude to burial and commemoration. Our fractured and partial knowledge of these peoples’ stories will be reflected in the construction of the piece, where no two performances will ever be the same, subtly drawing on the unique contribution of each person who attends. With this piece we want to record the lives and restore the voices to the men, women and children of all ages, races and backgrounds who die alone. We ask our audiences to join with us in an act of recognition and remembrance that will be both demanding and beautiful to watch.

With a grant from Arts Council England, we went into an intensive research and development phase for this project early in 2012.

by Christine Bacon and Noah Birksted-Breen.

On the Record premiered 20 July – 13 August in Studio 1, Arcola Theatre as part of their opening season in their new premises.

Directed by Michael Longhurst  Designer Chloe Lamford

Cast: Nathalie Armin, Paul Bhattacharjee, Michelle Bonnard, Kika Markham, Selva Rasalingam and Trevor White.

“Theatre at its best showing journalism at its best”  Timothy Ramsden, ReviewsGate for On The Record

Sunday Times critics choice‘The production … compresses a lot into 90 minutes as it lays out why the practice of investigative journalism matters’        

Evening Standard critics choice ‘Impassioned … Director Michael Longhurst keeps up the tension throughout. A vital play for grubby times.’                                     

Exeunt ‘With a mixture of pathos, brusque levity, and piercing drama, it rattles and shakes the audience into the centre of events …the effects are profound.’

Financial Times ‘this is a sobering and heartening reminder of why journalism also matters in a positive way.’

The Times ‘a tribute to the courage, compassion and tenacity of those who unearth and report stories of real significance, often at great personal risk… gripping theatre, in a production by Michael Longhurst that is at once succinct, shocking and wryly funny … Throughout, the acting is riveting, unflashy and full of conviction, while the stories the play tells are truly humbling.’ 

Sri Lankan brothers Lal and Lasantha dare to publish stories that others won’t touch, but at what cost? Meanwhile, in Mexico Lydia uncovers a child pornography ring involving senior politicians, Elena has a run in with the Moscow mafia, Amira reports direct from the Israeli-occupied territories and Zoriah comes up against the US Military over his Iraq war images.

Combining searing verbatim testimony with dramatic reconstruction, On the Record circumnavigates the globe to bring you true stories of six independent journalists, all linked by their determination to shed light on the truth.

‘During the entire Iraq war, only five images have been published showing dead US service members. Two of those are mine. …’

See our 4 star Reviews and further Press Coverage here

Welcome to Ramallah

It’s late afternoon when a Jewish woman arrives at her sister’s home in the occupied city of Ramallah. Dusk settles and with the call to prayer come neighbours – an uncle and nephew – to greet the new arrival. As night falls an unexpected curfew prompts the sharing of old stories which threaten to tear apart the fragile harmony of the sisters’ memories.

Crocodile Seeking Refuge Tour

Five individuals have sought asylum in the UK – from Africa to Iraq, Latin America to Iran. Linking them all is asylum lawyer, Harriet, whose dedication to her job begins to play havoc with her marriage. When her relationships begin to blur the personal and professional we are confronted with the question: ‘Where must we set our boundaries?’

...A Young Lady from Rwanda

“They came to our house in the morning. Some of them were our neighbours. The president had been killed in the night. On the radio they said nobody can go out or they will be shot. We all stayed together the whole night. And in the morning there was a knock at the door. Our next door neighbour he said ‘Now is the time for all the Tutsi cockroaches to die.’”