Refugee Boy (2013)

Refugee Boy

by

Lemn Sissay, adapted from the novel by Benjamin Zephaniah

West Yorkshire Playhouse

Refugee Boy is a vivid and immediate account of what it feels like to begin life in another country with no parental support. The play is presented from the point of view of Alem, a young boy whose parents are from Ethiopia and Eritrea. He travels to the UK with his dad and when he wakes up in the morning, his dad has gone, leaving behind a letter explaining that he wanted to take Alem somewhere where he would be safe, but that it is his duty to return to Ethiopia. Alem is sent to a children's home where he quickly becomes known as 'Refugee Boy'.

The play intersperses scenes from Alem's life in England as he applies for refugee status in the UK supported by his foster family, with scenes from his life in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Through his eyes we learn about the civil war in Eritrea and the processing of children in care and refugees in England. By the end of the play, despite the best efforts of his foster family, school and refugee organisations, Alem’s asylum status is still in doubt and his mother and father have been murdered.

Originally written as a novel by Benjamin Zephianiah, Refugee Boy was adapted for the stage by Lemn Sissay, a poet, writer and activist of Ethiopian and Eritrean heritage who had also spent part of his childhood in children's homes. Zephianiah wrote the story after listening to the stories of child refugees and dedicated the book to Million and Dereje Hailemariam, two teenagers who were being denied asylum in Britain. Fellow children’s laureate Michael Rosen praised the book for doing:

what Benjamin did over and over again, nudge people into seeing the world through the eyes of the oppressed.

About the writers

Benjamin Zephaniah (1958-2023) was a poet, novelist and advocate for young people. Born in Birmingham to Barbadian and Jamaican parents, he was a gang member in youth, was convicted of burglary and sent to prison. It was here he decided to re-engage with education and change his life. On leaving prison he moved to London and published his first collection of poetry, Pen Rhythm (1980). As well as numerous collections of poetry and novels, Zephaniah also recorded albums and wrote for the stage, including the dub-opera Job Rocking (1987) about youth unemployment in 1980s Britain.

Lemn Sissayis a playwright, poet and author. He was the official poet for the 2012 Olympic Games. A number of his plays are based on his experience of race and racism including Something Dark (2004), which recounts his chilhood in the care system in Lancashire, his move to Manchester and search for his birth parents and Why I Don’t Hate White People (2009). His adaptation of Refugee Boy has been adopted onto the GCSE curriculum.

Resources for teachers and students

BBC Bitesize page on Refugee Boy

Learning resource from Leeds Playhouse created for the play's first production