On Thursday 17th September, Support Through Court were delighted to hold an exclusive performance of ‘Daisy Through the Looking Glass’, written by Stephen Wildblood KC.
Told in a reverse chronology, this play centres on Dave, Maggie and their daughter, Daisy. When Dave and Maggie’s marriage falls apart, the couple must navigate their parental dispute in the family courts, but Dave – the father – is unrepresented.
The play is told from the perspective of the daughter Daisy, reflecting 25 years later.
James Evans, Chair of our Family Ambassadors’ Board, opened the event by giving a background to our work and the importance of the play for illustrating the real impact of our work:
‘Around half of the work Support Through Court does is in the family courts. And I think that connection is particularly important tonight as our play, Daisy Through The Looking Glass explores experiences of family breakdown and the family justice system through a very different lens. It puts you, the audience, inside the world of someone trying to navigate a system that can feel confusing, intimidating and overwhelming.’
‘…That’s really what connects the two organisations you’re hearing from tonight: the importance of understanding the human experience behind the legal process.’
The play started by watching Dave and Maggie meeting years after their case and the breakdown of their marriage. Then we were taken back to the time of the hearing, which was drawn out for a number of years, and had a distressing impact on Daisy, who was a young child at the time.
With references to heavy issues such as domestic violence and child abuse running throughout the play, we watched how their lives were changed forever from the court case as Dave was no longer able to see his daughter. The audience were able to observe how as a litigant in person, Dave struggled to present his case in court and was frustrated at not being able to fully understand the proceedings.
At the end of the play, there was a QnA opportunity with the cast whilst they stayed in character, focusing on their experiences of the family court and what practitioners could change in their approaches. This provided valuable insight into their perspectives of the system, including how it felt for Dave who had to face court alone, as well as the Judge of their case.
The play was performed by Fractured Voices, a theatre company founded by professionals in the Family Law Sector to explore themes of family breakdown, allowing audiences to witness and emotionally engage with the personal experiences behind family legal issues.
This event was a special fundraising event raising money for our charity so we can help even more people facing the family and civil courts without a lawyer so they can engage with the dignity and confidence they deserve.
Our huge thanks to Charles Russell Speechley’s for hosting us, particularly to Joanna Yiannitsarou for your brilliant support with organising this event. A special thank you to Forsters LLP, Penningtons Manches Cooper, Farrer & Co and Payne Hicks Beach for sponsoring this event and making this event possible.
Finally, our many thanks to all the family legal professionals who came along and engaged with this event. We are really grateful for your support and for all your thoughtful insights and questions asked during the QnA.
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