WE SING IN FIRE AND BLOOD
THE BLOODY NEIGHBOUR
AN EXTRAORDINARY NEW PLAY
BASED ON REAL EVENTS BRISTOL 2027
“UPLIFTING AND IMPOSSIBLY MOVING.”
Phil Gibby, Arts Council England“AN INCREDIBLE PROJECT.”
Charles Hazlewood, Paraorchestra
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY
HAZEL GRIAN
A POWERFUL, FUNNY AND DEEPLY MOVING STORY OF SURVIVAL AND HUMAN CONNECTION
ORIGINAL SCORE & SONGS BY
SARAH ANDERSON & DUNCAN SPEAKMAN
The True Story
One night in 2010, alone at her home in Bristol, Hazel, the play’s writer-director, was brutally attacked by an intruder and left for dead as the house burned. The attack became national news, leaving countless women with the same chilling thought: “It could have been me.”Against all odds, Hazel survived. She was discovered by a woman from a neighbouring house — a complete stranger whose courage saved her life. In the days and months that followed, the people of Bristol responded with extraordinary kindness. Police officers, nurses, strangers and friends rallied around her, and many of those involved were themselves profoundly affected by what had happened.As an artist, Hazel felt compelled to tell the story. She returned to the people who had cared for her, investigated the attack and helped secure justice, discovering that the story belonged to many voices, as well as her own. Yet one person remained missing from her journey: the woman who had saved her life. They had not met again.As one woman confronts trauma, loss and the failures of the justice system, she slowly discovers the strength of an extraordinary community determined to help her rebuild. Years later, how has she found a way back to life? And will she ever be reunited with the stranger who saved her?
About Hazel Grian
Before the attack, Hazel had already built a remarkably varied creative career. A true renaissance woman of the arts, she is a writer-director of indie games and immersive experiences, an award-winning filmmaker, and a highly experienced comedy-theatre performer.“Hazel Grian is a funny-filmmaking genius.” Matt Groening, The Simpsons
Working with Operation Bluestone
Developed in collaboration with Avon & Somerset Police’s specialist rape and serious sexual assault unit, Operation Bluestone, The Bloody Neighbour (We Sing In Fire And Blood) has been informed by conversations with officers involved in supporting survivors and investigating serious sexual violence.
Image by All Seeing Eye:still from CGI, 360 film version We Sing In Fire & Blood, 2019