A new stage play about the grooming of a young British girl by an Asian gang is to take place later this month.
'A Teenage Take-away' tells the story of Sarah who is accused of stabbing her sister’s boyfriend. Her only hope of a fair hearing rests with an indifferent duty solicitor.
To gain his trust she will have to do the one thing she promised herself she would never do – reveal her horrifying story to a stranger and plunge him into the nightmare world of the teenage sex trade.
Writer Liz Bloor is a Bafta nominated television producer and director.
In 2008 she made an RTS winning BBC1 Panorama Special; 'Teenage Sex for Sale' which was about the grooming of young British girls by organised gangs.
She spent months researching the subject and meeting young girls who had been groomed for sex.
Ms Bloor said: “What I heard from the girls in Blackburn and elsewhere in the country I can never forget and when it was suggested to me that I should write a play this was the issue that leapt out.”
“I want this play to make sure people – especially vulnerable young women – are aware of this problem.
“Some of the girls involved were not vulnerable in the conventional sense – they came from middle class families but had been bullied at school or had other problems.
The performance will be followed by a discussion with the creative team, a police officer, social worker and victim support worker from the charity CROP all working for Blackburn’s award winning ENGAGE team.
ENGAGE are the first in the country to bring together a wide range of agencies to work together as a single team to tackle sexual exploitation.
The play takes place at the The Barnaby Festival, Macclesfield on Sunday 24 June at 2pm in the Town Hall.
Tickets are available at www.barnabyfestival.org.uk
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