Bradford theatre company explores youth culture and criminal justice system in new production

“I am always interested in the systems that we inherit and live by and how we don’t know how to challenge them,” says Evie Manning, co-artistic director of Common/Wealth Theatre, who is directing the show. “Even when sometimes it might feel unfair or not right in some way, we accept it. Joint Enterprise is not widely known about and we want to raise awareness of how the law operates. It is so clearly unjust and I hope the legacy of the play will be that it helps to shift public opinion and allows us to have a complex and nuanced discussion which may contribute to bringing about change. We are all part of a society that allows these judgments.”

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Described as part-political theatre, part-club night, Public Interest features a cast of rappers and DJs telling their stories on their own terms using drill, grime and bassline. “We are excited to be working with DJs, rappers and musicians because their skill is all about telling an alternative story to the stories you might hear in court or in the media,” says Manning. “And we are using music because it is such a powerful way of bringing people together. The show is high-energy and very immersive, exploring the themes in a fun and direct way.”

The seeds for the production were sown several years ago when Manning met members of the campaign group JENGbA – which stands for Joint Enterprise Not Guilty By Association. “They are mothers, sisters, cousins or aunties of young people who have been affected by the Joint Enterprise law and I was so impressed by them,” says Manning. “I was also shocked by what the law was doing to young people who might have just gone to a party and got pulled into something. Many of them have not been involved with the criminal justice system before and were being labelled as ‘bad characters’. Your age, race and class are used against you – it is deeply discriminatory.”

As with all of Common/Wealth productions, the creative team has gone through a rigorous research process. “We have met with judges, barristers, academics and campaigners and we have also worked with a number of people who have been in prison for Joint Enterprise and with their families,” says Manning. “It has been a process of building trust. Hearing some of the stories has been heartbreaking; these are children and some of them are receiving life sentences.” The stories are incorporated into the production in keeping with Common/Wealth’s practice of embedding lived experience into their work.

In preparation for casting the show, Manning and her team have visited around 30 youth centres in the Bradford district over the past year running workshops on the criminal justice system. The show features a lead cast of seven, aged 18-25 and a supporting cast of ten aged 14-19. The support of Bradford 2025 has also enabled the company to ensure that a percentage of the tickets will be free to young people. “I think it is so important for young people to be informed and empowered,” says Manning. “We want to encourage them to see their own creative potential, speak out about injustice and to feel that they have the ability to make change.”

After the show’s run in Bradford, the ambition is to tour it more widely, in the UK and further afield in other countries where the doctrine of Joint Enterprise still exists, such as Australia and South Africa. “It has been a huge, important project for us, our most ambitious yet,” says Manning. “It’s been a massive feat, there are so many layers to it. The more families we speak to, the more responsible we feel. It is so much bigger than a play.”

Public Interest is at Loading Bay, 1 Duke Street, Bradford, May 21-24, and May 28-31 at 7.30pm. For details and to book tickets visit bradford2025.co.uk