New Kabosh play exposes silent trade in human suffering

Silent Trade, written by playwright Rosemary Jenkinson, exposes the human misery lurking in the leafy suburbs and student areas of Belfast through the plight of a young female immigrant forced into domestic servitude and prostitution to pay off debts owed to her traffickers.

Kabosh Artistic Director Paula McFetridge said reports of recent police operations against people traffickers had increased public awareness of what previously had been an invisible crime.

She explained: “Rosemary and I have been talking about tackling this important subject for three and a half years and now the time is right to expose what is happening behind the curtains of homes across the north.”

New laws on modern slavery and human trafficking in Northern Ireland came into effect in 2015. Between 2012 and 2020 the number of potential victims of modern slavery rose by 750% in Northern Ireland from 15 individuals to 128.

Modern slavery and human trafficking hit the headlines late last year when the PSNI raided 27 brothels across Northern Ireland and charged two people on brothel keeping and human trafficking charges. An officer from the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit said the offences were often ‘hidden in plain sight’.

Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is pleased to support this new production from Kabosh Theatre Company and writer Rosemary Jenkinson which demonstrates the power of using the arts as a tool to create awareness and discussion around challenging subjects in society. Well done to all involved.”

As part of her research for the play, Rosemary spoke to members of the Nigerian community who had knowledge of human trafficking. She used these conversations to create the fictionalised story of Precious, a young Nigerian woman who is forced to work as a domestic servant for an affluent family in a posh neighbourhood in East Belfast.

As the story unfolds, Precious ends up working in a brothel in a rundown house in the Tate’s Avenue area. She is played by Nigerian-born Lizzy Akinbami in her first stage role.

More information: https://kabosh.net/production/silent-trade/