Conviction

Step into the hidden world behind the prison wall with the award-winning stage play Conviction. This exceptional drama, with the outstanding cast of Stefan Pejic, Kev Johns, and Andrew Lennon, will take you into a place of hope, despair, and truth.

In a Category B prison classroom, prisoners and staff must coexist. Inmates convicted of crimes such as murder, fraud, and drug dealing spend their time counting down the days until their release. Meanwhile, their teacher strives to manage her English class amid these challenging circumstances.

Prison is all about survival. While the courts have passed their judgment, new judgments and challenges arise from fellow inmates inside the prison walls. Drugs become the only currency that matters, and those who control the drugs make the rules.

Amidst the despair and gloom of prison, some genuinely care about the inmates left to languish in their cells. Some prisoners and staff believe that prison isn’t the end but an opportunity to learn, grow, and find a new path in life.

Conviction will make you think about the men and women behind bars, asking you to question the justice system and how it can better support those who need help to stay on the right side of the law.

Mark Cainen wrote the stage play as part of his Ph.D. thesis for Swansea University. Drawing on eight years of lived experience in the criminal justice system, he crafted a fictionalised story where the characters are based on an amalgamation of thousands of men who were and are currently incarcerated.