Fair Trade, written by Shelley Davenport and Anna Holbek with Kate Ferguson, tells the remarkable stories of two very different female survivors of the British sex slave trade. Their journeys – from their separate home countries to London – are told in a powerfully honest and unsentimental way.
Inspired by the Journey Against Sex Trafficking (the 2007 art installation in Trafalgar Square made up of seven shipping containers each representing an aspect of the suffering experienced by trafficked women) of which Emma Thompson was a major collaborator, the writers based their script on two survivors' verbatim accounts. In full support of their work, Emma Thompson enthusiastically came on board as Executive Producer.
Fair Trade was developed over an eight month process of workshops, interviews and research. The play's content is based on the real-life experiences of Elena and Samai, both trafficked women. While showing the harsh reality of the women’s experiences the play is careful to avoid sentimentality.
An eight person cast of four women and four men play a variety of characters exploring the subject matter from countless viewpoints. Members of parliament, the British Police, women from Albania and Darfur are represented and the piece includes both male and female sex traffickers. The play also takes a farcical approach, with a girl’s trickery into slavery in the style of a Cinderella pantomime, a David Attenborough style narration of the clientele and a human auction.
Fair Trade was originally performed at The Pleasance Theatre, Islington in February 2009 in association with The Helen Bamber foundation, a charity (of whom Emma Thompson is Chair) that helps rebuild the lives and inspire new self-esteem in survivors of gross human rights violations; including our survivors Elena and Samai.
In 2010 Fair Trade appreared at the Latitude Festival and London's Rich Mix before a very positive near sell-out month run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the Pleasance KingDome.
The play attracted publicity from BBC News, The Stage, The Guardian, The Independent and many more; with positive reviews. The audience response was one of unanimous surprise at the reality of the sex trade and provoked passionate discussions about the topics raised, with particular stress on prostitution and gender roles. Few people are aware that the UK, particularly its large cities, is one of the biggest hot-houses for this international trade.
It is particularly urgent to raise awareness about this now in the lead up to London’s hosting of the 2012 Olympics, as there are fears that the surge in tourists will also see a rise in the number of women illegally sent into the country for the sex slave trade. Shatterbox aims to bring the reality of the sex trade industry to the forefront of the social and political agenda and inspire those who are receptive to moderate their actions.
As well as an exciting and thought-provoking piece of theatre, Fair Trade tells an as yet un-told story; revealing a magnitude of shockingly hidden truths. Designed to fit any venue or space, Fair Trade has been invited to perform at various UK venues later in the year.
Interested in showing Fair Trade at your venue? Please do not hesitate to contact Anna for further information.
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