Conversations, dispatches and ideas from the Bush Theatre.
You might have heard us talk a lot about the Law Society in the run-up to The Invisible but who are they, and why are they sponsoring Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s urgent new play about the human impact of cuts to legal aid?
The Law Society of England and Wales is the independent professional body for solicitors. Under its president, Andrew Caplen, the Law Society launched its Access to Justice campaign in September 2014 in response to a deep fear that access to justice is on the verge of crisis.
Find out more about the Law Society’s Access to Justice campaign here.
The Law Society are sponsoring The Invisible because the theme of the play chimes very clearly with their Access to Justice campaign. In the words of Andrew Caplen: “cuts to legal aid have forced more and more people into ‘do it yourself’ justice where representing themselves is the only option other than to take no action at all for themselves and their families. This creative partnership will raise awareness of the importance of the role of lawyers within our justice system. The fundamental concept of the rule of law is nothing more than an ideal if people cannot obtain access to justice.”
The Invisible (3 Jul – 15 Aug) is a new play by Rebecca Lenkiewicz about the recent changes to the provision of legal aid. Based on interviews with real people at all levels of the British justice system, this play aims to tell the stories of those ordinary people affected by the cuts and to examine how they are driving ever deeper cracks into the fabric of our society. With cuts currently totalling £350m, the reforms to the legal aid system are arguably one of the biggest threats to human rights in Britain today.
The whole Bush Theatre team would like to express huge gratitude to all at the Law Society for their generosity, guidance and enthusiasm in sponsoring The Invisible.
Find out more about the show and book tickets here.
