Silent Cry

As subjects go, the death of a suspect in police custody is about contentious as it gets.

It is to Madani Younis' credit therefore that his play, Silent Cry, refuses to preach and approaches the subject with both head and heart.

Performed by the Asian Theatre School and based on actual documented evidence and interviews, the play focuses on an Asian youth who dies in police custody.

When the system has no answers the dead man's family have plenty of questions.

What unfolds is a cry for justice from the family and a search for truth that also leads to some unpleasant home truths.

After a slightly tentative start, the cast warm to their task and flesh out the roles in a convincing manner. There are even unexpected moments of humour.

Keighley actress Shaida Chaudhury is excellent as the ambitious legal spokesman who treads a fine line between campaigning for justice and flirting with the media and members of the grieving family.

There are also strong performances by Lubna Shuja as mother Safia and Asif Khan as Shahid.

What the play does lack if anything is a sense of balance in that the police's perspective is barely touched on.

But Silent Cry still remains a vital plea for the end to these tragic deaths.

Richard Brgger