The Jungle comes to dc
A startling portrait of despair, resilience and hope, The Jungle comes to Washington this spring. The heavy-hitting drama is the debut work of writers Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, who founded the Good Hope Theater Company and wrote The Jungle in the heart of the unofficial migrant camp in Calais, France that became the home of 6400 refugees between January 2015 and October 2016.
Drawing from the very real experiences of the camp's inhabitants, Murphy and Robertson's powerful meditation on immigration, border control and the human lives behind the statistics garnered rave reviews for its debut off-Broadway run in 2018. Whilst its subject matter may be bleak, and its characters battle with daily cycles of threat and survival, the play's poignant celebration of the enduring human spirit makes for an uplifting and necessary watch.
What is The Jungle About?
Pulling the audience into the sprawling, bustling refugee camp, the story charts the Jungle's birth to its very last eviction, as told through the eyes of 35-year old Syrian refugee Salfi, a former English Literature student who escaped the bombing of Aleppo. Capturing the interactions of refugees and volunteers from many different countries, vividly-drawn, complex characters give voice to the voiceless, those ignored by British and French authorities who actively turn their back on the humanitarian crises on or near their shores. Three such individuals are Okot, a 17-year-old refugee from Sudan, Afghan teenager Norullah who's desperate to get to England and Helene, a woman trying to find the right path for not only her but her family too.