First published in 2011 by Oberon Books Ltd

Electronic edition published in 2012

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Copyright © Gillian Slovo 2011

Reprinted in 2011

Gillian Slovo is hereby identified as author of this work in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted her moral rights.

All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for professional performances etc. should be made before rehearsal to Gillian Slovo c/o The Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR, info@tricycle.co.uk. Applications for amateur performances should be made to Gillian Slovo c/o Oberon Books Ltd., 521 Caledonian Road, London, N7 9RH, United Kingdom, info@oberonbooks.com. No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained.

You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Print ISBN: 978-1-84943-199-6

Digital ISBN: 978-1-84943-297-9

Cover image © Lewis Whyld/Press Association Images

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The Riots was commissioned by the Tricycle Theatre from an idea by Nicolas Kent and first performed on 17th November 2011 at the Tricycle Theatre, London, with the following cast (in alphabetical order):

Barbara Cleaver / Sadie King / Karyn McCluskey Sarah Ball

Martin Sylvester Brown Kingsley Ben-Adir

Man 1 / Sergeant Paul Evans Grant Burgin

Diane Abbott MP / Camila Batmanghelidjh Dona Croll

Inspector Winter / Harry Fletcher Christopher Fox

Michael Gove MP / Simon Hughes MP / Sir Hugh Orde Rupert Holliday Evans

Chelsea Ives Clementine Marlowe-Hunt

Man 2 / Jacob Sakil Okezie Morro

Pastor Nims Obunge / Leroy Logan Cyril Nri

Man 3 / Owen Jones / David Swarbrick Tom Padley

Greg Powell / Judge Andrew Gilbart QC / John McDonnell MP Alan Parnaby

Mohamed Hammoudan / John Azah Selva Rasalingam

Stafford Scott Steve Toussaint

Chief Inspector Graham Dean / HH Judge Robert Atherton / Iain Duncan Smith MP Tim Woodward

Director, Nicolas Kent

Designer, Polly Sullivan

Lighting Designer, Jack Knowles

Associate Lighting Designer, Charlie Hayday

Sound Designer, Sarah Weltman

Audio Visual Designer, Jasmine Robinson

Assistant Director, Ben Bennett

Literary Consultant, Jack Bradley

Casting Director, Marilyn Johnson

Researcher, Cressida Brown

Assistant to the Director, Tara Robinson

Associate Producer, Zoe Ingenhaag

Press Representative, Emma Holland

Production Manager, Shaz McGee

Company Stage Manager, Charlotte Padgham

Assistant Stage Manager, Helen Stone

Costume Supervisor, Anna Bliss Scully

This play went to press before the end of rehearsals

Large and prominent: photographs and moving footage. The most dramatic that can be found of the riots in progress. Shops being looted, shopkeepers defending themselves. Anarchy on the streets of England. Loud surround sound coming at the audience from different directions. Noises of riot. Of sirens. Helicopters. Shouts.

All of this fading out into silence. Theatre is dark. A pause and then:

Two loud gun shots ricochet around the auditorium.

A long beat. Dark and silent.

MAN 1 and MAN 2 on stage but they cannot be clearly seen. It is almost as if they are disembodied voices. They are rioters and, like MAN 3, who comes later, they should be separated from the rest of the characters. They are Other. A world apart from the audience.

They speak throughout in matter-of-fact tones. No heat, no melodrama, just telling us how it is.