Lifers is an insightful play that prompts us to consider the responsibilities of the prison system in protecting the dignity and health of older people, while also exploring the separation of a person from their crime. The play is emotional and honest, as well as hilarious, all simultaneously. It challenges how many perceive crime, punishment, and rehabilitation. Do you still deserve dignity and care despite your crime? Where does the line of duty of care start and end? What more needs to be done to improve the system?
Directed by Ester Baker, Lifers follows prisoners Lenny (Peter Wight), Norton (Sam Cox), and Baxter (Ricky Fearon) inside HMP Drummond, who pass their time playing poker, engaging in banter, and joking about the system's lack of care regarding their health as they have grown older. When Lenny's health begins to decline, prison officer Mark (James Backway) keeps a close eye on him and wants to help Lenny despite knowing he is unable to. Mark begins a surprising friendship with Lenny and aids him in getting the appointments and scans he needs, even if it could cost him his job. His involvement is significant to the message of the play, exposing the system that aims to punish, not support.
The dynamic between Lenny, Norton, and Baxter was powerful; the three men played their characters incredibly, with their banter and jibes bouncing off each other. From the first scene, the audience was in fits of laughter from the humour exuding from the men, particularly between Norton and Baxter at the start, talking about hot topics of vaping, avocados (of course), and race. Humour was central to the play, even during the more raw emotional scenes; jokes were used to show the honesty and also tensions of prison life and connections between the characters.
The relationship between Lenny and Mark felt heartwarming, and the final scene really tied the play together beautifully. Having a police officer show duty of care in this play helped bring about the important message of the lines between separating a person from their crime. We don't find out Lenny's crime until right near the end (while we never find out Norton or Baxter's); I think this is useful for the audience too to just see these characters as people and not to judge them, fictional or not, because of their crime.
Designer Katy McPhee did a brilliant job with the set, too. The grey flooring and background with the small staging set the tone of entrapment. The simplicity of the set allows for the 'stools' used as seats and beds, and tables to be moved around in different scenes to create spaces such as the canteen, bedroom, doctor's room, or the pub.
Lifers was written by playwright and screenwriter Esther Baker, who is the director, founder and AD of Synergy. This award-winning theatre company works with prisoners and ex-prisoners, producing shows in theatres and prisons, and also delivering education projects for young people, and writing initiatives to develop playwrights in prison. The whole team that helped shape Lifers did an exceptional job, and it was great to see a different insight into this topic. I believe this show really gets its message across, and I am sure it will certainly make its audiences think more about the changes that still need to be made in our prison systems.
Lifers is playing at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 25th October.
Review: Cara-Louise Scott-Lapish