FEATURES

Interview with playwright Tim Lafferty

on his play I'm An Asylum Seeker...Get Me Into Here!

Interview by Mary Couzens

   Asylum Seekers: Carmel (Shefali Verna), Vladimir, (Noah Knafel),Sahira (Hannah Harvey), Nbada (Ansu Kabia)

Photo courtesy of Tim Lafferty

 

Mary: I'm an Asylum Seeker...Get Me Into Here is a very intriguing title.  Could you give us a short synopsis of the play?

Tim: Four failed asylum seekers compete in a reality TV show in a last-ditch attempt to stay in the country. Meanwhile, the show's front man makes a remarkable discovery.

The play follows the fortunes of Vladimir, a Russian doctor, Carmel, a Sri Lankan Tamil, Sahira an Iraqi Kurd and Ndaba, a victim of Mugabe's regime, while seeing Britain through their eyes. An audience vote decides who is going to stay.

Mary: The whole topic of Asylum Seekers, while, of course being socially relevant to all of us on a humanistic level, is also, potentially, very large scale subject matter, and perhaps sometimes, one that some people tend to ignore or overlook.  What inspired you to address such a big issue in a play?

Tim: I didn't start off with this play thinking "OK, I'm going to write something about asylum seekers. I was asked to write a play that reflects modern Britain. I wanted to show it through the eyes of newcomers and that's where the asylum seeker idea came from. I started to do research and the story just evolved from there. I think that probably happens a lot to writers
- you start writing one thing and, hey presto, it turns into something else.

  
Mary: It's ingenious that you've placed such an important, human rights issue within the framework / context of a reality game show, something that's familiar to most people, but not with people who are seeking asylum in Britain for contestants!  At what point in the writing of your play did you decide to place the plight of the Asylum Seekers in that context, or did you always know you were going to do that, from the very beginning? And also, do you see the placing of the Asylum Seekers difficult situation in that context as being representative of the a general apathy or ignorance on the part of many people about  their plight, i.e. Are you making  a statement just by putting your four Asylum Seekers in that  context? (popular culture/game show) 

Tim: Yes I'm making a statement which is that we are obsessed with some rather trivial things in this country, like game shows, in contrast to the much more serious concerns of the asylum seekers. The cheesy-ness of the format makes the audience feel uncomfortable - they're not sure if they should laugh. Or not. I originally toyed with the idea of using The Weakest Link format as the show because, in the words of one of the characters in the play, that show represents the worst of our society - people ganging up on each other, being rude, laughing at mistakes. But it was too limiting. A novelist friend of mine, Ruth Wilkinson, suggested "I'm an Afghani - get me into here", which I thought was brilliant.

Mary: How much of what you've written was influenced by things you've experienced in your own life? 

Tim: In the early 80s I was in the military in Hong Kong. We were tasked with preventing "illegal immigrants" coming in from China and Vietnam. We had to ship them back, something that I have always felt guilty about. So that was lurking in the back of my mind when I wrote this.

Mary: How/when did the Refugee Council give your play their endorsement/backing?

Tim: About a month before we opened I sent them the script. They liked it and were happy to support it. They can't offer financial support for this type of activity but they informed their supporters about it. They also facilitated a trip for me to a detention centre. The Head of Policy, Nancy Kelley, participated in a discussion forum after one of the performances. They've been really helpful.

Mary: Was it difficult casting the Asylum Seekers for your play?   All of the actors are absolutely brilliant – totally convincing!  So much so, that I was totally surprised when I met Hannah Harvey (Sahira) and  Shefali Verma (Carmel) after the show, and realised they're both actually Londoners, and don't sound remotely like the characters they are playing in real life!

Tim: This is really a question for Liz Bagley, the Director, as I wasn't involved in the casting. You're right, they're all wonderful! Here is her response:
Liz: I did encounter some difficulty casting some of the asylum seekers, but perhaps not mainly for the reasons you might imagine. If you are casting a particular ethnicity, then obviously you have a more limited number of actors who will be physically convincing in the role. For instance, I received ten to twenty times the number of submissions for the role of Wreck as for other parts. However, the problem is a more generic one. Mounting profit-share productions on the fringe with limited finance means that actors are paid only expenses. The problem is finding excellent actors who are not only available for the required period, but who are willing to make such a long-term commitment under these conditions. Enthusiasm, dedication and the ability to work as a team are as important as talent in these circumstances. I am gratified that the actors playing the asylum seekers, who are all at or near the start of their careers, have all these qualities in abundance, as indeed do all the actors in the play. (Liz Bagley)

 
Mary: What was your inspiration for the lovely side story, involving Paul Murthwaite's character - Wreck and his Grandmother, Mary - beautifully played by Anna Barry?  Did you find it difficult to intertwine the two storylines?   The result works so well! 

Mary (Anna Barry) Photo courtesy of Tim Lafferty

Tim: I wrote a half hour version of the play which Liz and I put on in a festival last year. It was entirely set in the reality TV house. We wanted to develop the play to a full length version, but I didn't want it to be just more of the same, like watching Big Brother for an hour and a half. It took me ages to come up with the Grandmother idea. I'm glad you like it – Anna Barry is brilliant, as you say. The main point of that storyline is that it compares attitudes in the late 1930s to the Jews ("Don't let 'em in, we'll be over-run". "Genocide? What Genocide?") to the fear of asylum seekers prevalent today.

Mary: Is there any other form of writing that you enjoy, besides playwriting Tim? 

Tim: I enjoy performance writing for stage and screen because I like to see the audience reaction.  I dabble with poetry. There isn't a novel in me.

 

Mary: Now that you've written a play that is very successful from a critical standpoint, one that you can be proud of, (even though it cost you a small fortune to put it on), do are you think you might write another one?  If so, do you have any idea what it is going to be about?  Are you thinking of addressing any social issues in your next play? 

Tim: Yes. I've got a few ideas. Maybe something about travellers.

Mary: I think it's very exciting that you've managed to address such strong subject matter in a way that allows the audience to identify with your characters.  What was the best/worst thing that happened during the course of getting I'm an Asylum Seeker...Get Me Into Here written and put on stage? What have you learned from the experience?

Tim: The best thing is meeting and working with Liz Bagley. The professional relationship between writer and director is so important. For me, it's like handing my baby over to someone else. You have to trust them and be thinking along the same lines. The play is far better for Liz's input over the last 18 months. She's not only a very experienced theatre professional, she is also passionate about the issue (she has been a member of amnesty international for 30 years). I also love the audience reaction, particularly on Wednesday when we had a full house. The audience really got involved (rather more than we expected at one point!). I've learned a huge amount. One example - don't over-write the dialogue - build space in it for the actors.

The worst thing is the time, effort and money it takes to put something on in the fringe and getting people to come and see it on a dank winter's evening. It's not just the writing, directing, casting, building the set etc. it's producing posters and flyers, programmes, press-releases - all the things that at a big theatre company would be taken care of by other
people. It's also really hard to get theatre critics to review fringe plays.

 
Mary: This production hangs together so well, all I can say is, in addition to writing a terrific play, you've got a fantastic director, and team as well!  Do you and director Liz Bagley have a prior creative history?  Or did you link up to do I'm an Asylum Seeker ...?

Tim: I've partly answered this above. I saw an ad in The Stage for scripts for The Lost Theatre Company's One Act Festival. I sent my script in (then 30 mins). They liked it and put me in touch with Liz, who wanted a play to direct in the festival. Fate I suppose.

  
Mary: You manage to do so much with limited props and stage settings.  Whose idea was the screen that slides back and forth to simulate different rooms?  It works so well!

Tim: Aaron Marsden designed the set. He presented a number of ideas to Liz and this was a brilliant solution, given the budget. He is very talented and has worked so hard for us.

  
Mary: Do you have any plans to have I'm an Asylum Seeker...  staged elsewhere in future? If so, do you have any preference where, in regard to cities or venues? We think everyone should see it!  Would you consider submitting it for Brighton or Edinburgh Fringe?

Tim: I'd love to see it elsewhere but we'd need some financial support. At the discussion forum someone raised the idea of taking it to schools, which I think would be good too if we tone it down a bit in places.

  
Mary: Seeing I'm An Asylum Seeker...Get Me Into Here helps raise  awareness about the human rights issues it addresses.  Do you have any suggestions about what people might do about to help?

Tim: When thinking about asylum issues try to come at it from a compassionate point of view rather than a fearful one. People who live in areas of the country which have the highest proportion of asylum seekers, are the most receptive and least afraid of them. It's the fear of the unknown, drummed up by a few irresponsible newspapers, that's the problem. And if someone would like to get more involved, support the refugee council www.refugeecouncil.org.uk) or one of the other refugee organisations.

 

Mary: Many thanks for your interview Tim! We're hoping to see your wonderful play resurface in the very near future!  We wish you continued success!  


Tim: Thanks for your kind comments and for coming to see the play.




Sahira (Hannah Harvey) and Nbada (Ansu Kabia)
        Photo courtesy of Tim Lafferty
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