Double Premiere for Blue Apple Theatre and Theatre Royal Winchester

On Thursday 21 October 2021 a small group of Blue Apple performers stood on stage at Theatre Royal Winchester to talk about a very important film called See No Evil.  Those performers all starred in a film designed to help people spot hate crime and protect vulnerable people from being exploited through a process known as ‘cuckooing’. This is when dealers convince a vulnerable person to let their home be used for drug dealing. They are often urban gangs who are involved in county lines drug trafficking.  The film was premiered in the beautiful heritage theatre auditorium at Theatre Royal Winchester via their new surround sound cinema screen which has been recently installed thanks to generous support from the Garfield Weston Foundation.  This was the first film to be screened on the new equipment that will in future enable Theatre Royal Winchester to not only host live performance but also to screen films and live-streamed performances from theatres from around the country and beyond.

On stage to explain the key themes of the film were Anna Brisbane, James Elsworthy and Tommy Jessop alongside outgoing Chair of Trustees Georgiana Robertson. Co-performer James Benfield was unable to attend the premiere.

Photos by Mike Hall.

The part-animated video, created in collaboration with Cass Productions, features four of Blue Apple’s actors who all have learning disabilities, as well as real-life police officers. See No Evil was developed with the Hampshire Police Crime Commissioner and Hampshire County Council.  Speaking before the film was shown to invited guests from local organisations, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Councillor Luke Stubbs talked about the critical importance of crime prevention in the role of policing.

The film is designed for viewing alongside an educational workshop that includes drama and discussion activities, co-facilitated by members of Blue Apple Theatre. Free educational resources and the film can be accessed via Blue Apple's website at blueappletheatre.com/seenoevil