Island Woman's Life Hits London Stage in new Comedy Play!

Welcome to the Beerey household: Dad's locked up, Daughter's knocked up, Mum's fed up... What’s this all about? What’s going on? Beerey is the true story of one family's fight for justice, and to stand strong together. Honest, raw, funny and heartbreaking. It makes you wonder, how far would you go to prove your family aren't secret international cocaine smugglers? It's all got to be a mistake, right?

THE BEEREY TOUR:
Thurs 4, Fri 5 MAY 7:30pm at Ventnor Winter Gardens, Isle of Wight

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ventnorwintergardens

Sun 7 and Mon 8 MAY 7:30pm at Theatre N16, Balham, London for

The Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2017
https://lineupnow.com/event/beerey

Mon 8 MAY – Live BSL simultaneous translation show https://lineupnow.com/event/beerey

Weds 24, Thurs 25 MAY 7:30pm at Ryde School Theatre, Isle of Wight

http://tinyurl.com/rydeB

Fri 30 JUNE, Sat 1 JULY 8:00pm at The Rondo, Bath

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/ELDEHI

Tues 18, Thurs 20 JULY 7:00pm, and Fri 21 JULY 4:00pm at The Old Clubhouse, Underground for The Buxton Fringe 2017

http://www.loistemel.com/beerey/ - tickets available soon

JULY TBC Slam, Kings Cross London

http://www.loistemel.com/beerey/ - tickets available soon

Beerey is a verbatim one act play, sharing the true experiences of Sue and Elle during and since the arrest and wrongful conviction of Jon Beere, known as Beerey, Sue’s husband and Elle’s father. Beerey was arrested in 2011 as part of Operation Disorient (one of the UK's biggest international drugs smuggling busts) in 2011. Jon is serving 24 years in prison for a crime he maintains that he did not commit, and is fighting for his freedom alongside the rest of ‘The Freshwater Five’ (as they have become known).

The play tells the usually hidden story of the impact of a wrongful conviction on the family members left behind. Sue and Elle tell their stories with total honesty, candour, with no holds barred and often a great deal of humour...

Their story makes you wonder, what would you do if your perfectly ordinary family was suddenly swept into the nightmare of a high profile drugs prosecution? If a member of your family is accused of a crime will everyone believe not just that that person is guilty, but that you're all guilty?

Whether convictions are rightful or, as in this case, wrongful – this is the reality faced by thousands of families across the UK every single day. More children currently have a parent in prison than are ‘looked after’ children. More children currently have a parent in prison than are on the Child Protection or Child At Risk Register. There is currently no national system for these children to have any access to that parent, or to get support for everything they experience as a result of that parent serving time.


At the time of writing the Freshwater Five are still being held in prison, and their families are still fighting to get evidence to prove their innocence assessed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. This process has been underway for just over 2 years, and there is still no court date set for the appeal to be heard.



www.5men104years.com is the website set up to tell the full story of all the men and families involved. Profits from the shows to criminalappeals.org.uk

Parental Guidance Advised: There is some distressing subject matter, and some swearing.


Notes for editors:

1) For more information on Beerey play and for updates and behind-the-scenes latest follow our social media:
https://www.facebook.com/BeereyPlay/
https://twitter.com/beerey_play
https://www.gofundme.com/Beerey

2) Lois Temel’s personal survival story hit the UK national media in 2015, when - having beaten necrotising fasciitis and sepsis - she went back to RADA to re-polish her acting and performance skills. She came out determined to use her powers for good, and started working on Beerey in 2016. Her recent work has consistently garnered 4 and 5 star reviews ("an excellent piece of performance" "acting with such authenticity that it really was hard to accept they were just playing a part" - BROADWAY BABY; " riveting and insightful" "understated, reserved, yet quietly moving" - FRINGE GURU; "multiple and complex issues handled with thought and subtlety" LONDONTHEATRE1).
For more on Lois: http://www.loistemel.com

3) The ‘Freshwater Five’ and their families are represented by Emily Bolton of the Centre for Criminal Appeals (CCA). The case is pending a Criminal Cases Review Commission and assessment following a judicial review by Lady Justice Hallett in 2015, all questions regarding the legal case should be directed to Emily (Emily.bolton@criminalappeals.org.uk).

4) The Centre for Criminal Appeals (CCA) is a not for profit solution to the shortage of investigation and legal representation for criminal appeals; investigating injustice, reforming the system - www.criminalappeals.org.uk