Groomed

The bell rings and the children pour out into the Primary School playground. But one nine year old boy is told to stay behind…

“The bad done to me becomes the bad in me, becomes the bad is me.”

We hear a lot about the child abuse perpetrated by celebrities; we hear a lot about organised gangs; but a vast amount of child abuse, often of young children, happens quietly, secretly and in isolation, and the effects on the growing adult can be devastating. In this new performance one adult man tells the truth, without sensationalism, without self indulgence, with no simple answers. This is fast moving provocative theatre, rich and complex, maybe shocking, but not for one moment depressing. State Education, Japan in WWII, the invention of the saxophone - the theatricality is startling.

Patrick Sandford is an award winning theatre practitioner. Starting as a performer he was for 24 years Artistic Director of the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton.

Nancy Meckler (Director - Shared Experience, RSC, NT) and Simon Slater (Composer - RSC, Almeida, Broadway) are both award winning practitioners in their respective fields

“It’s extraordinary, important… one of the most powerful 45 minutes I’ve ever spent watching a piece of theatre . It is a very moving, angry, painful, cathartic, enquiring, creatively constructed, and compellingly performed piece. It is powerful story telling, personal but not indulgent. Despite the theme, you have such a light touch as a performer, and are so engaging and accessible….”

“So eloquent, affirming and informing.”

“You have to keep doing it, all over the world.” Workshop Response