On 22nd July 2005, Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by police officers as he sat on a tube train at Stockwell station.
The head of the Metropolitan Police alleged that Jean’s clothing and behaviour marked him as a suicide bomber. The media reported that he had jumped over the ticket barriers and was wearing a thick coat despite the summer weather.
These allegations were all false. Jean Charles was entirely innocent.
Yet to date, no-one has ever been held accountable for his death.
This summer, Upstart Theatre will be producing two compelling new plays dealing with the killing and its aftermath: Oh Well Never Mind Bye by Steven Lally and The Kratos Effect by Sarah Beck.
Since 2006, Upstart have been working on a way to tell the story of what happened to Jean Charles, and what happened in the aftermath of his death. We've spoken to police officers, whistleblowers, campaigners and witnesses, each of whom has a unique story to tell. The Kratos Effect is a verbatim play made up from their words, giving a compelling insight into the real stories behind the headlines. Oh Well Never Mind Bye explores how the reality turned into the media story, following a team of reporters as they react to and report on the events of July 2005. We're in discussion with venues right now and will be announcing production details very soon.
Watch this space for updates - check the links on the right for background information.
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