London | Theater company gives voice to refugees

(London) In east London, the Phosphoros Theater brings young refugees and asylum seekers on stage to reclaim their history, in an increasingly hostile political context in the United Kingdom.

In the dimly lit studio, a few actors annotate their scripts and rehearse their lines in whispers. Ismael Mohammed, 20, was a shy young man, unable to speak out loud in front of his classmates at university. He now performs live at venues across the UK.

This young refugee arrived on British soil at the age of 16, having made the journey alone from East Africa.

“No one can tell your story, the way you experienced (the journey) or the way you got here as well as you,” he told AFP.

Tenderthe company’s latest production, tells the story of a group of refugee friends living in London, their financial difficulties, and the solidarity that binds them to overcome ordeals.

It is inspired by the personal stories of the actors, themselves refugees or asylum seekers, and the stories they gave of their journey and their arrival in the United Kingdom.

“It’s therapeutic to show myself in front of others and make my voice heard,” enthuses Abel, a young Ethiopian refugee.

The troupe’s co-artistic director Kate Duffy-Syedi, who previously worked as a refugee social worker, hopes their play will help combat some of the prejudices prevalent in the United Kingdom, where anti-immigration policy has not ceased to be hardened in recent years.

Earlier this week, the British Parliament adopted a controversial bill which aims to deport migrants who arrived illegally on British soil to Rwanda.

The Conservative government hopes that the first planes will take off within 10 to 12 weeks, and asylum seekers there do not yet know what will happen to them in the coming months.

Criminals or victims

“These young people are either perceived as criminals or as victims who have no will of their own,” regrets Kate Duffy-Syedi, who wanted to place them at the heart of the creative process.

She founded Phosphoros Theater in 2015 with her mother, playwright Dawn Harrison. It is clear that the rehearsals, eight years later, no longer take place in the same atmosphere at all.

After the adoption of the text on Rwanda, the UN denounced British laws “increasingly restrictive, which have eroded access to refugee protection” since 2022.

” It’s very sad […] If many people come to the United Kingdom, it is not to live the good life, but simply to be safe,” regrets Ismael Mohammed.

This is where at least “theater can help people become aware of this reality, and allow spectators to discover” what the refugees experienced during their journey, adds Abel.

Fifth production of the company, the show Tender will soon be performed in London, Derby and Manchester.

Everywhere it has gone, the company has received a positive reception in recent years.

“Even if we don’t advance their case or legal process, we create spaces where stories about forced migration, hope for a better future and more positive representation of migrants and refugees can exist,” emphasizes Kate Duffy-Syedi.