Theatre Royal Stratford East will restage an updated version of Tanika Gupta’s 'Gladiator Games', directed by Charlotte Westenra and co-produced with Sheffield Theatres at Theatre Royal Stratford East from Thursday 2 February until Saturday 25 February 2006. The play is being rewritten and includes two new cast members Kevin Trainor (as Robert Stewart and Duncan Keys) and Paul Keating (as Maurice Travis and Jamie Barnes).

With the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry report due to be published in the spring, the show will respond to those findings as they are inevitably leaked from the Inquiry and the performances will continue to raise questions such as ‘Did the prison officers knowingly place Zahid in a cell with a racist?’ and ‘Why did the then Home Secretary, David Blunkett initially refuse to meet the family or hold a public inquiry?’

The audiences have been outraged and shocked by the tragic death of Zahid Mubarek in Feltham Young Offenders Institute by his racist and disturbed cellmate Robert Stewart. Subsequently the post show discussions have been both stimulating and informative and they will continue to be held after each evening’s performance.

This spring run of Gladiator Games will enable even more people to bear witness to the Mubarek’s family’s story. The whole team at Theatre Royal Stratford East has been humbled by the family’s continued support. “Gladiator Games has transcended everything we expected from a theatre production and has become almost like a visual document giving us a human insight into the cruel world of the penal system.” Imtiaz Amin - Zahid Mubarek’s Uncle and the Mubarek Family’s Spokesman

“I’m extremely pleased that Tanika and Charlie have produced work which has highlighted this important case and put the focus back on Zahid Mubarek as a person. The audiences have engaged with the debates and are hungry to hear more. We had to bring it back, as the play still had a lot to say to a lot of people who wanted to hear it.” Kerry Michael, Artistic Director Theatre Royal Stratford East.

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