“As human beings we need hopes and dreams and aspirations and this project has given us those.”
— Performer
What was it?
A five week MAGNIFY project with eight men from HMP Springhill. Invited back to perform Broken Dreams, a play devised at Springhill with playwright Simon Longman in 2017, the men rehearsed for three weeks in Bicester. Supported by Chiltern Railways, they then headed by train to London’s West End for seven performances on the stage of Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square.
Cast Feedback
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To be honest I’m not really a confident person and I suffer from anxiety a lot. My main worry was failure and being laughed at and once I realized that we were all in the same boat and all in it together things got much easier. I feel like I was a product of my environment and I just did the stuff that was happening around me which was some bad stuff. I’ve been around a lot of positive people here and it’s helped me feel part of something positive and I like that feeling.
Performer
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When we are in prison we wear a kind of mask – you cannot show vulnerability. This project has helped take us out of that zone. It shows how the environment is a big factor on how we all are and how we reflect ourselves in society. It’s a lesson that we shouldn’t write all people off because imaginative projects like this can reach those people. Everybody who gets the hand extended to them can move forward in a positive way.
Performer
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This project has taught me that you should never set limits for yourself, you can do whatever you put my mind to. It has been a unique experience. It has given me unforgettable memories, friendships for life and a new meaning to teamwork.
Performer
Click on the image to read The Times article about the project
What The Audience Said
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Saw Broken Dreams at Royal Court today. Beautiful storytelling, rich and layered yet uncomplicated honestly told – thanks to all for creating these kind of opportunities for audiences and performers alike.
Audience member
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Powerful, moving, and utterly believable. Nobody in that audience would have believed what you and the guys gave us was possible. They have proved that, given the chance, people are so much more than the sum of their parts. Thank you.
Audience member
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I will never cease to marvel at the power of theatre. Broken Dreams at Royal Court is multi layered and poignant and not to be missed.
Audience member