Play adaption of teen's death 'tells human story'

The true story of a teenager who died at an NHS trust's care unit has been dramatised for the stage.

Stephen Unwin is directing Laughing Boy, a play about Connor Sparrowhawk, who died in a specialist unit in Oxford in 2013.

The play is an adaptation of Justice for Laughing Boy, a book written by the 18-year-old's mother, Sara Ryan.

"It's a story of love, of humanity, of a family stricken by this terrible thing that happened, but it's also a political story," said Mr Unwin.

Mr Sparrowhawk had autism, a learning disability and epilepsy. He was in the care of Slade House when he had an epileptic seizure in the bath and drowned.

"The shutters came down and [Southern Health Trust] refused to accept responsibility," said Mr Unwin.

The trust was fined £2m. Slade House closed in 2014.

His mother campaigned for justice for her son, and eventually the Trust admitted "systemic failures" and pleaded guilty in 2017 to breaching health and safety laws.

Ms Ryan, whose book questions the way people with learning difficulties are treated, posted her support for the play on social media.

Mr Unwin, whose son also has learning disabilities and epilepsy, said the story was similar to the Post Office scandal, in that it involved "large organisations refusing to accept responsibility".

"There are human beings in the middle of all of this stuff," he said.

He said dramatisations of such stories helped people understand them "from the ground up".

"You see the real beating heart of the human dealing with it," he said.

The play uses Ms Ryan's imaginary dialogue with her son, "almost verbatim" from her book - but Mr Unwin said it is also "surprisingly funny" in places.

"It's not all just this terrible thing," he said.

Rehearsals are under way and the play will be performed at London's Jermyn Street Theatre for a month from 25 April, and then at the Theatre Royal Bath for five days from 4 June.

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