Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Documentary theater at its best: The National Theatre’s sobering production of GRENFELL at St. Ann’s Warehouse

• By drediman
• May 10, 2024
• No Comments

Last night, I ventured out to St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn to catch Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors by Gillian Slovo. First presented across the pond at London’s highly esteemed National Theatre, the somber documentary theater piece recounts the 2017 fire that took place in West London, tragically killing 72 residents of a subsidized residential high rise (the titular Grenfell Tower). 

In short, Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors is one of the finest examples of documentary theater I’ve yet encountered. It’s a sobering, clear-eyed chronicle of the shocking failures of the structures put in place by society. Carefully and deliberately argued, Slovo in the first act establishes the scene methodically and thoroughly, building an overwhelming wall evidence for the systemic discrimination that led to the catastrophe. Throw in minimally regulated capitalism into the mix, and you get a situation that was just asking for tragedy to strike. The second act is devoted to the night of the blazing fire itself and the first hand testimonials of a handful of survivors, particularly their recollections of their harrowing flight to safety (the entire text of the show is culled directly from interviews and transcripts).

Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors has been directed with intent and clarity by Phyllida Lloyd and Anthony Simpson-Pike, whose deceptively unassuming, beautifully-paced production creates an indelible sense of community. The ensemble cast is first rate, morphing effortlessly between their gripping portrayals of the survivors and other contributing players.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

GRENFELL: IN THE WORDS OF SURVIVORS
Off-Broadway, Play
St. Ann’s Warehouse
3 hours (with one intermission)
Through May 12