Lifers – a new play exploring where the line is between ‘duty of care’ and ‘duty to care’ in a prison system built to punish, not to support.
For the past twenty years, Synergy Theatre Project has worked with prisoners, ex prisoners, young offenders and at-risk youth to inspire change through groundbreaking work across theatre and the criminal justice system.
Set inside the walls of HMP Drummond, Lifers follows the lives inmates Baxter, Norton and Lenny.
Lenny is unwell and needs to see a doctor. But with all the red tape and hoops needed to jump through the prison system, can he fill in all the right forms and make it through the process before it is too late?
New prison officer Mark has Lenny’s back and despite protocol, does what he can to help him. But will finding out why Lenny is in prison, change his willingness to help?
The three ‘lifers’ played by Sam Cox (Norton), Ricky Fearon (Baxter) and Peter Wight (Lenny) all give strong performances. They avoid playing stereotypical prisoners (like the knife wheeling, head beating criminals we see on TV) and instead portray what it probably is like for most people – boring.
Mona Goodwin and James Backway balance each other out nicely as Dr Sonya and prison officer Mark. Their characters really help to explore and understand the cracks within the justice system.
Lifers challenges what we think we know about crime, punishment, and redemption and explores the cracks in a justice system built to punish, not to support.
At one hour and forty five minutes without an interval, Lifers is a bit long. The opening scene could be cut to make it that bit shorter and when the three inmates are sat playing poker, they could sit in different positions each time to allow each side of the audience to see a different view.
Lifers is a compelling look at ageing within prison and the broken justice system. It asks the question “where is the line between ‘duty of care’ and ‘duty to care’”. Processes and procedures can be put in place but should there be some room for making exceptions?
★★★★
West End Wilma
Lifers is playing at Southwark Playhouse until 25 October 2025
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