Trojan Horse at Leeds Playhouse
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
In Trojan Horse, critically acclaimed LUNG Theatre excavate the truth behind the 2014 UK government inquiry of the same name. Operation Trojan Horse was a local real-life news story which hit the national press – it accused ‘hardline’ Muslim teachers and governors of plotting extremism within state schools in Birmingham.
Originally developed with Leeds Playhouse, Trojan Horse is the story of a community torn apart by racial division, ‘British values’ and the culture of Prevent.
Trojan Horse is the story of a community torn apart by racial division.
Revealing the damage caused to communities in Birmingham, this incisive verbatim performance is adapted from over 200 interviews, with 90 different people, conducted over two years. Focusing on five central characters, the play uses real quotes from the pupils, teachers, governors, politicians and parents who were directly affected by the inquiry.
This intelligent production by LUNG’s Matt Woodhead and Helen Monks focuses in on the voices of a Muslim teacher, a concerned local councillor, a struggling GCSE student and an outraged headteacher. Weaving these personal perspectives together, the performers, in school uniforms, add hijabs, headscarves and jackets as they move fluidly between the different characters.
This incisive verbatim performance is adapted from over 200 interviews, with 90 different people, conducted over two years.
As well as uncovering the unheard voices behind the sensational and damaging headlines, Trojan Horse also illuminates suggestions of institutionalised racism within Westminster and Parliament. Using the true accounts of what happened at Park View Educational Trust as a representation of a larger and more urgent problem, Trojan Horse also succeeds in offering a thought-provoking and boldly political exploration of identity and belonging in Britain today.
