Grenfell survivors oppose new theatre and TV productions

Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire and bereaved family members of those killed in the blaze are calling on the BBC and the National Theatre to halt upcoming dramas about the event.

A planned TV drama and a stage play based on survivors’ testimonies have elicited fierce opposition from those affected by the fire on 14 June 2017, which killed 72 people.

The play, Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors, due to open at the National in July, is based on verbatim interviews conducted over the past five years by scriptwriter Gillian Slovo.

“Grenfell was something the National Theatre needed to address on the national stage. It was our responsibility to make sure their voices were heard,” she said.

But some survivors feel that the theatre is stealing their experiences.

“Who gives them permission to do these things and then tell us after? Before you do this sort of thing, you should get our permission, because this is our pain, our story,” Maryam Adam, who escaped from the burning tower while three months pregnant, asked the Guardian.

Another reason cited by those opposing the productions is the short amount of time that has elapsed since the tragedy. 

A long-awaited enquiry closed last year. The final report is yet to be published and criminal prosecutions in connection with the fire may not begin until next year.

The TV series, Grenfell, will dramatise the events of the night of the fire. Writers said it will begin months before the fire and cover the botched refurbishments, as well as the “woeful responses to the disaster”.

A petition calling for it to be scrapped has attracted more than 50,000 signatures and opponents have threatened to disrupt filming near the tower. The drama, which will be in three parts, is not scheduled to air for at least two years. 

Not all survivors oppose the productions. Some hope they will help to keep the story of Grenfell alive, spurring the public to action.

A BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster is “extremely mindful of the impact that a project of this nature can have on those whose lives have been personally affected, and this programme will be made with the utmost sensitivity and respect”, with a view to ensuring “that the events at Grenfell can never happen again elsewhere”.