WARMING-UP IN THE CAGE, HMP BRIXTON’S FORMER EXERCISE AREA, BEFORE THE DRESS REHEARSAL

‘WHICH ARE THE INMATES?’ WAS A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

‘MUCH OF BECKETT'S IMAGERY IS OF CONFINEMENT AND RESTRAINT—AND I KNEW THERE WOULD BE NO SHORTAGE OF PARALLELS IN THE PRISON’

DIRECTOR STEPHEN POWELL

THE DIRECTOR STEPHEN POWELL, LEFT, WITH LEN O'SHEA AND OTHER INMATES IN THE PRISON’S GREEN ROOM

ROY'S GOOD LUCK CARD TO THE NT’S MARCIA

BRIXTON VETERAN

BRIAN BEING MADE-UP

DOUGIE, GORDON, BRIAN AND STEPHEN IN COSTUME FOR WAITING FOR GODOT

KATE FENWICK, OF THE NT, AND LEN O'SHEA ARE BOTH A LITTLE NERVOUS ON FIRST NIGHT.  THEY LEAVE THE PRISON’S GREEN ROOM AS WINNIE AND WILLIE IN HAPPY DAYS

IT WASN'T ALL GLAMOUR AND GLITTER AS WE WERE STILL IN PRISON, AND SUBJECT TO THE USUAL SECURITY ROUTINE’

ROY ADORES HIS COOL OUFIT

WAITING TO PERFORM, WAITING FOR PAROLE

LOOKING FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THE AUDIENCE AT THE OPENING

STEPHEN, LEFT, EXPRESSED HOW HE FELT FATHERLY PRIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHEN HIS NINE YEAR-OLD SON SAW HIM BEING APPLAUDED

COME AND GO

‘WE WERE SURPRISED AT THE DEPTH OF FEELING GENERATED BY THE PERFORMANCES.  NOT ALL THE ACTORS WERE GREAT ACTORS IN THE CONVENTIONAL SENSE BUT THEY BROUGHT AN HONESTY AND PRESENCE TO THEIR PARTS WHICH MADE THEM REAL AND OFTEN VERY TOUCHING’ 

DIRECTOR STEPHEN POWELL

‘IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH A MORBID PLACE HOUSED SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF LAUGHING, SMILING FACES, AND THAT THE SHOW BROUGHT A TOUCH OF COMFORT TO MANY OTHERS’

WAYNE ROWAN, LEFT

‘PRISONS ARE LIKE GREAT THEATRES, PRODUCING IN UNEQUAL MEASURE HOPE, CONFLICT, JOY AND DESPAIR’

DIRECTOR STEPHEN POWELL

WAYNE ROWAN

‘THE FRIENDS MADE WERE AS PRICELESS AS THE EXPERIENCE ITSELF, AND BOTH WILL REMAIN ONE OF LIFE'S FEW TREASURED MEMORIES’

WAYNE ROWAN