A fictional account of “one of the biggest police scandals of all time” is to be brought to life at Nottingham Playhouse which commissioned Kefi Chadwick to write Any Means Necessary.
In 2011 it was revealed that an undercover police officer had for years been living among political activists in Nottingham. He had been spying on legitimate protest groups and engaging in long-term, intimate relationships with individuals. It became clear that he was not alone.
Many undercover officers had been spying on activists for decades. Special Branch sanctioned and funded their work.
Any Means Necessary takes interviews with many of those involved and draws from unprecedented access to the women and their legal teams. It explains how the abuse was perpetrated, its emotional costs and the victims’ drive to find out the truth about the men who deceived them.
Chadwick said, “these cases show an incredible abuse of human rights and civil liberties and are one of the biggest police scandals of all time. To be able to bring the events to life on the stage at Nottingham where one of the worst offenders lived is a great privilege and an important part of the victims’ right to have their stories heard.”
Nottingham Playhouse artistic director Giles Croft who directs Any Means Necessary added, “we’re thrilled to be working with Kefi on the telling of this important story which has local, national and international implications.
“The beauty of her approach is to centre the drama on the human cost of the undercover police operations and to examine the effects on the families on both sides of the divide.”
The cast features Kate Sissons, Samuel Oatley, Nicholas Karimi, Louise Mai Newberry, Jo Dockery, Beatrice Comins and Lily Lowe-Myers.
Designer is Sara Perks, lighting designer Chris Davey, sound designer Adam P McCready and dialect coach Sally Hague.
The world première of Any Means Necessary runs at Nottingham Playhouse from Friday 5 until Saturday 20 February. Press night will be Tuesday 9 February.