Ipswich: Controversial London Road play, based on Steve Wright murders, set for theatre return

ipswich: Nominated for four prestigious awards, a play about the murders of five sex workers in Ipswich is set to return to the stage this summer.

The controversial production London Road debuted at the National Theatre’s Cottesloe Theatre last summer but due to the popular run it has been commissioned again this year.

The musical, written by Alecky Blythe, focuses on the events that happened in Ipswich in the winter of 2006, when serial killer Steve Wright wrought terror as he murdered Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Paula Clennell, Anneli Alderton and Annette Nicholls.

Seen through the eyes of Wright’s neighbours, the residents of London Road, the hard-hitting production has won acclaim from the critics and is now in the running for four Olivier awards – best actress in a musical for Kate Fleetwood, best director for Rufus Norris, best new musical and best theatre choreographer for Javier De Frutor.

During its last run, the play raised �25,000 through collections for the charity Iceni Ipswich, which helped girls off the streets of Ipswich at the time of the murders.

Charity co-founder Brian Tobin welcomed the return.

“It can still create awareness about the issues faced at the time, so from that point of view it is good to see it returning,” he said. “It was a really difficult and painful thing to watch but it factually portrayed events at the time from the residents’ point of view and that is why it was so powerful.

“All the words are true and from the mouths of people who were there at the time.”

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