By Matt Woodhead & Helen Monks
ASSISTANT PRODUCER
LUNG
Supported by Arts Council England, Leeds Playhouse, Mend, Reflective Practice and the University of Nottingham
★★★★★
“Perhaps the bravest and most astutely political of shows… piercing, relevant, terrifying and beautifully told”
WhatsOnStage
★★★★
“A sober, forceful condemnation of injustice”
The Guardian
The Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award
Fringe First Award
Summerhall Lustrum Award
★★★★
“A striking and dynamically staged verbatim piece”
The Scotsman
★★★★
“A boldly physical and passionate piece of documentary theatre which looks behind the headlines to the human stories beneath”
The Independent
★★★★★
“An unflinching, unapologetic piece that pulls no punches”
The Skinny
‘Why should I continue to be tolerant, when the world has been so intolerant of me?’
Trojan Horse was a local story that hit the national press, accusing ‘hardline’ Muslim teachers and governors of plotting extremism in Birmingham schools. Adapted from the real-life testimonies of those at the heart of the UK Government’s inquiry, critically acclaimed theatre-company LUNG investigates what really happened. 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.
Project History
Trojan Horse was originally developed with Leeds Playhouse, and premiered at Summerhall at Edinburgh Fringe 2018, where it received multiple five star reviews from national publications and awards, including an esteemed Fringe First. The show then toured the UK in 2019-20 to 28 venues – 4 midscale spaces, 23 studio theatres and 1 community centre. The tour was supported by an engagement campaign led by Madiha Ansari of the Cultural Ecology Project, who led 63 post-show Q&As in collaboration with Prof. John Holmwood from the University of Nottingham. A live Urdu audio description was also made available alongside the touring production. Trojan Horse was due to be performed at the Houses of Parliament in 2020, which was unfortunately curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Creative Team & Cast
Writers Matt Woodhead & Helen Monks
Director Matt Woodhead
Sound Designer Owen Crouch
Lighting and Video Designer Will Monks
Design Consultant Rana Fadavi
Associate Director Gitika Buttoo
Script Consultant Aisha Khan
Engagement Manager Madiha Ansari
Engagement Consultant Siara Illing-Ahmed
Production Manager Crin Claxton
Deputy Production Manager Alex Earle
Rehearsal Stage Manager Marie-Angelique St Hill
Touring Stage Manager Camille Koosyial
Academic Advisor John Holmwood
Script Translator Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi
Rehearsal Translator Umber Qureshi
Producer Ellie Claughton
Assistant Producer Grace Dickson
PR Mobius Industries
UK Tour Cast Komal Amin, Mustafa Chaudhry, Gurkiran Kaur, Qasim Mahmood & Keshini Misha
Edinburgh Fringe Cast Komal Amin, Annice Boparai, Shobat Kadara, Ashnu Rabheru, Maanuv Thiara
Photography Ant Robling