Multiple Casualty Incident by Sami Ibrahim, a play about a group of individuals in a London training centre, preparing to help people in crisis on another side of the world opens at The Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick on 27 April (press night 2 May).
Here, in a London training centre, people prepare to help strangers on another side of the world. There, a city is burning.
Here, Sarah gets a meal deal. There, people are in danger. Here, Khaled watches a training video. There, there are men with guns. Here, Sarah and Khaled flirt with each other. There, an aid worker looks after a refugee.
Suddenly — here becomes there.
Roleplay, desire and compassion will intertwine, revealing the limits of help, the beginnings of harm and the complexities of humanitarian work.
Going right to the heart of humanitarian crises, Multiple Casualty Incident transcends geographic boundaries to explore the complexities of aid work where personal motivations clash with the pursuit of justice, and the desire, compassion and stark realities of aid work are revealed. This world premiere is a provocative exploration of the limits of help, and the beginnings of harm where colleagues find themselves entangled in expected relationships, blurring the lines between duty and desire.
A raw and unflinching portrayal of the gritty terrains traversed by those dedicated to alleviating human sufferings, challenging us to confront the uncomfortable truth that lies at its core.
Jay Miller, Artistic Director of the Yard Theatre said, “Sami Ibrahim’s brilliant play tells a story about people on one side of the world, who want to help strangers on another side of the world. About how people who want to help those close to them too. About how that help can distort – can slip into romance, or domination, and from there, into violence.
This is another play at The Yard that tells a beautiful and thrilling story, evocative of our most relevant questions today. Born from East London. Given to you, live.”
Writer Sami Ibrahim won Theatre Uncut’s Political Playwriting Award for two Palestinians go dogging, which ran at the Royal Court in 2023 and was nominated for an Olivier Award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre’. He has been on attachment at the National Theatre Studio and writer-in-residence at Shakespeare’s Globe – where he co-wrote Metamorphoses, which was performed in 2021 and recently transferred to the Seattle Rep in Washington. He is working on a handful of theatre commissions and developing a feature film with BBC Film and A24-backed company 2am.
Sami’s theatre credits include: A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain (Paines Plough/Gate Theatre); two Palestinians go dogging (Royal Court/Theatre Uncut); Metamorphoses (Shakespeare’s Globe); Wonder Winterland (Oxford School of Drama/Soho Theatre); the Palestinian in the basement is on fire (Pint-Sized/The Bunker); Wind Bit Bitter, Bit Bit Bit Her (VAULT Festival); Iron Dome Fog Dome (The Yard Theatre/First Drafts), Carnivore (Brockley Jack). Audio credits include: 50 Berkeley Square (Radio 4); The Twig (That Podcast ETT); and Fledgling (Radio 4).
Jaz Woodcock-Stewart is a director working in theatre and performance. She was nominated for an Olivier award this year for her production of Paradise Now! at the Bush Theatre. Her play Civilisation won the Jury Prize at Fast Forward, the European Festival for Young Stage Directors at Dresden Staatsschauspiel. She was also nominated by the National Theatre to create Something New at Performance Laboratory Salzburg 2019. She is the Artistic Director of award-winning arts company, Antler, Associate Company at the Bush Theatre 2017-18. Jaz is an associate artist at Brixton House.
As Director, Jaz’s productions include Jason Medea Medley (Staatsschauspiel Dresden), Paradise Now! (Bush Theatre), Electric Rosary (Royal Exchange), Gulliver’s Travels (Unicorn), Civilisation (New Diorama, HOME Manchester, Hellerau), Madrigal (RCSSD), Fen (Lamda), Learning Piece (The Place), Something New (Performance Laboratory Salzburg, Thomas Bernhard Institut/NT/Mitos21), Lands (Bush Theatre), Mother Courage (East 15 Acting School), The Bacchae (East 15 Acting School), Wifmon (National Theatre Studio) and If I Were Me (Underbelly/Bush Theatre/Soho Theatre).
Luca Kamleh Chapman plays Khaled. He graduated from the Oxford School of Drama. His theatre credits include The E.U Killed My Dad (Jermyn Street Theatre), Grey Rock (Remote Theatre Project), two Palestinians go dogging (Royal Court Theatre). At the Oxford School of Drama he appeared in A Lie of the Mind, As You Like It, Medea, A Couple of Poor and Polish Speaking Romani. His film credits include Anna (Good Films Collective) and How To Have Sex (Film 4 & BFI). Luca’s television credits include The Gathering (Channel 4 / World Productions).
In line with The Yard Theatre’s approach to exploring the stories and ideas in shows in different ways, on weekends audiences are also warmly invited to continue their night at The Yard by being part of the venue’s nightlife programme when the bar becomes a home for collectives from across London’s subcultures, who are exploring the intersection between clubbing and performance.
