Emotional journey as Lockerbie disaster is investigated at IAC

WHEN 270 people were killed in Britain’s worst terrorist atrocity, grieving father Jim Swire found his faith in his own country’s legal system shattered. His full shocking story is told in Lockerbie: Unfinished Business - a quietly devastating theatrical investigation which will pay a visit to Lisburn’s Island Arts Centre on Friday February 25 at 8pm.

The Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning production by writer/performer David Benson, and director Hannah Eidinow is a hauntingly poignant performance using a blend of verbatim material and dramatisation, telling the story of Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora was on the plane blown up over Lockerbie on December 21 1988, a day before her 24th birthday.

David, who has performed at the Island Arts Centre on three previous occasions, says he is “very much” looking forward to his Lisburn return, with what is perhaps his most thought-provoking piece of work to date.

Speaking about Lockerbie: Unfinished Business, David said: “I’m always looking for new subjects. I tend to write about whatever is on my mind and I was doing some internet research because the whole story was back in the news because of the release of Al Megrahi in August 2009. I came across the website of Jim Swire, who has been the leading spokesman for the UK relatives since the beginning and I got in touch because it spoke about his unpublished account of the story on the site.”

David was then contacted and asked if he would like to create a one-man show of the story. Accepting, what he calls a “challenge,” David said that he immediately became interested because it was “such an important story.”

In the performance David presents Jim Swire’s ongoing struggle to find the truth in a hard-hitting piece of political theatre with international relevance. The tragedy has met with new-found topicality since the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, the man convicted for the bombings.

David has since struck up a close relationship with Jim, saying: “He is such a remarkable man who has faced every foe and danger because he has this burning rage and grief because of what happened to his daughter and he doesn’t yet feel justice has been done.”

David added: “It was a real privilege for me to take on the role of Jim Swire and create a one-man play in which I allow him to tell his story.”

David says the show “explores the nitty gritty” of the terrorist links that form the background of the story as well as the trial of Al Megrahi.

He added: “We find that the media and politican’s in general prefer to ignore the fact there are huge questions about the trial and Al Megrahi’s guilt. Jim Swire and many campaigners do not believe he is guilty and that he was framed for political reasons, which is truly terrifying.”

David said that the play would have major resonance with people in Northern Ireland, with Michael Gallagher from the Omagh Campaign attending and a Q&A session being held after the performance.

“People in England feel quite distant but for people that have suffered at the hands of terrorism or where justice is inconvenient for the State there is a parallel, the show has great resonance.”

David said that he has been “surprised and delighted” by the audience reaction to the show.

“When you are writing you really don’t know if you are on the right track or if it is going to fail. There are gasps of outrage when people hear about the trial. There is disbelief at the verdict as the evidence was laughable. The audience can see that and there is such a shock that he was convicted on pathetic evidence.”

The show also features recordings from Jim’s daughter Flora, which David says remind the audience that a real person is involved.

David says he hopes the show, which was nominated for an Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award, will “give a new lease of life to the campaign.

“I hope it continues to make an impact, I’m glad to be doing my bit.”

Tickets priced £11.50/£9.50 (concession) are available by logging onto islandartscentre.com. Alternatively please contact Island Arts Centre box office on 028 92 509254 or Arts Information on 028 92 509509.