Trojan Horse
Battersea Arts Centre/Touring

VERBATIM theatre has a track record for creating powerful and atmospheric drama and Trojan Horse is a superb example.
 
Created by young talents Matt Woodhead and Helen Monks, this gripping piece brings to life the complex and controversial story of claims a few years ago that Muslim extremism had infiltrated Birmingham schools.
 
It’s a work of great maturity, unravelling the community’s confused and angry reactions to media stories of scandals and plots. Those at the chalkface had a different view of the shenanigans and their testimonies drive the drama here.

LUNG Theatre, which based Trojan Horse on 200 hours of interviews, as well as public documents and transcripts from public hearings, is no stranger to bringing real people’s words alive.

Their portfolio includes Chilcot, which eviscerated the claims made by the Blair government to justify the war on Iraq and E15, the campaign by single mothers in the London borough of Newham who struck back against a state planning to kick them out of their homes.
 
One victim of the Birmingham row is represented as feisty and vulnerable pupil Jess (Komal Amin), her burgeoning sexuality a secret entrusted to teacher Rashid (Mustafa Chaudhry). There is betrayal to come, for both of them.