May 2025
How Providers Made An Impact On 3,000 Young People
The Spring 2025 tour of the powerful new play Providers, written by Ambreen Razia and directed by Esther Baker, has left a deep and lasting impression on thousands of young people across London and beyond.
Delivered to over 3,100 students across 21 schools and performances in pupil referral units, the tour sparked critical conversations around youth violence, poverty, and criminal justice. Audiences were overwhelmingly positive, with 77% rating the play as “Very Good” or “Excellent”, and 86% saying it made them think more about crime and criminal behaviour.
Crucially, Providers reached a diverse audience — 70% of respondents identified as from global majority backgrounds, with many attending theatre for the first time. After seeing the show, 89% said they’d like to see more theatre.
Post-show discussions with company members — including those with lived experience of the criminal justice system — made a profound impact. 91% of students found hearing from them valuable, showing the power of lived experience in changing perceptions and inspiring empathy.
Accompanying drama workshops, delivered by a team of artists with experience of prison, created spaces for honest, transformative dialogue. 100% of participants enjoyed the sessions, and 98% said they made them reflect more deeply on the play’s themes.
The production also toured to HMP Downview and played a successful week at Brixton House, where audiences praised its “authenticity, heart, and social relevance”.
One Brixton House attendee summed it up: “This story can help so many people and allow them to reflect upon their own lives.”
From classrooms to theatres to prisons, Providers has proved that when storytelling is rooted in truth and delivered with care, it can change minds and lives.
