Grenfell: in the words of survivors

by Gillian Slovo

The early hours of Wednesday 14 June 2017. The north-west corner of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. A twenty-four-storey residential tower. The scene of a national tragedy.
This powerful verbatim play is drawn from the testimony of residents – a group of survivors and bereaved – at the heart of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It reveals the impact of the multiple failures that led to the most devastating residential fire in the UK since the Second World War, and how do we stop this ever happening again?
Startling, urgent and deeply moving, in the words of survivors explores the courage and resilience of an ill-treated community and their continued campaign for justice.
Created from interviews by Gillian Slovo, the play was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in July 2023, co-directed by Phyllida Lloyd and Anthony Simpson-Pike.
10% of the net proceeds from sales of this book will be donated by the publisher to the Grenfell Foundation, who support the bereaved and survivors in the aftermath of the fire, as well as help them ensure Grenfell is remembered long into the future.
'Moving, heartfelt and important… a powerful piece of verbatim theatre that demands empathy, not sympathy' - Evening Standard
'An engulfing experience… harrowing but not sensational… Slovo's play is new and important. It is not only that she uses the words of survivors; it's that they are her collaborators. The result is an inquiry of the best sort – the most humane kind – on stage' - Observer
'A tour de force… deeply humane… infinitely more meaningful than dispassionate news footage… a tremendous piece of theatre' - Time Out
'Gripping… shocking… piles up devastating detail… an ensemble masterpiece' - Guardian
'Powerful' - Telegraph

'A visceral insight into a human tragedy' - The Times

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2023

About the author

Novelist Gillian Slovo was born in 1952 in South Africa, the daughter of Joe Slovo, leader of the South African Communist party, and Ruth First, a journalist who was murdered in 1982.

Gillian Slovo has lived in England since 1964, working as a writer, journalist and film producer. Her first novel, Morbid Symptoms (1984), began a series of crime fiction featuring female detective Kate Baeier. Other novels in the series include Death by Analysis (1986), Death Comes Staccato (1987), Catnap (1994) and Close Call (1995). Her other novels include Ties of Blood (1989), The Betrayal (1991) and Red Dust (2000), a courtroom drama set in contemporary South Africa, which explores the effects of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Reviews

[Illiterate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tragedy of brave new deregulated Britain.

[Carmijn Gerritsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rewatched and read this alongside the recording online after seeing the play in London last summer. This powerful and affective verbatim play covers the events leading up to, and during, the tragic Grenfell fire by tracing the experiences of a handful of survivors. It constitutes an important cultural response which showcases the institutionalised racism in the British socio-political landscape. The piece is ended with a discussion by the actual survivors, and the importance of remembrance, change and community through a moment of silence outside. Overall, this forms an incredibly moving play which embeds this event into the collective memory.

[Rytas Sakas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that all problems of UK in one way or another returns back to Thatcher is something otherworldly. Time from time it bothered that everything is the fault of someone (the racist system!!!!), but at many instances it was hella racist, hella capitalist and hella fucked up. And the cast? Hm.

[Pip Wip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the play as a part of my seminar concerning Contemporary British Drama. It was a fast read and incredibly engaging. It was well written and I kept thinking about how I would personally stage it. It feels like a true insight into other people's homes and hearts at the moment of catastrophy.