A play’s search for innocence
New play at National Children's Theatre plans to educate youngsters on human trafficking.
National Children’s Theatre (NCT) proudly presents Innocence Lost, an educational theatre production that aims to teach vulnerable teenagers about the dangers of being trafficked and shows them how to recognise and deal with would-be traffickers.
In a statement, the theatre describes the play as an example of how education through theatre arts can help communities across South Africa engage with the challenging issue of how to stop child trafficking – especially girl trafficking. Girl trafficking is a social crime in which girls, mainly from poverty-stricken backgrounds, are attracted by promises of money, employment, social dignity and a bright future. Too late they discover that none of the promises are genuine.
The theatre hopes to attract an audience range of 12-year-olds and up who will go on to share their new-found anti-trafficking awareness with their siblings, family members and their communities.
The play is based on the sad and shocking story of a 14-year-old girl who Moira Katz – the theatre’s newly retired CEO and now Trustee for Special Projects, including this show – saw sitting dejectedly and motionless outside a children’s home. The girl’s story began when her parents died in an uprising in Rwanda, and a kind ‘uncle’ befriended her and promised her he would look after her. He offered her a job that, he said, would save her from her current poverty. Being young, ignorant and helpless, she accepted, little knowing that she would land up as a sex slave in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
Katz said, “I’m very proud to bring this must-see production to life, for young teenagers at all our schools. I’m also deeply grateful to Different.org and Kavod for supporting this production, and for their continued support of NCT.”
The theatre will host a special showing of Innocence Lost at their indoor Inspiration Theatre on May 13. The production will be on tour to schools, mainly in Soweto where much trafficking takes place, from May 3 to 13.
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