A theatre production teaching young people in Hammersmith & Fulham how to spot the signs of county lines and exploitation has won a national award.
Cross the Line – created by Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Gangs Violence and Exploitation Unit – won Excellence in Arts Education at the UK Theatre Awards 2025 on Sunday 12 October in central London.
More than 1,000 young people across 28 local H&F schools and youth centres watched the production on how to recognise the signs of county line exploitation.
Amy Belson, Executive Director and Joint-CEO of Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, said:
We knew from the teachers and students how important this work was, and we're overjoyed that it's been recognised at a national level. We're incredibly proud of this project and grateful to the GVEU for their commitment.
Cross the Line shows how culture and creativity can support the exceptional work the unit does to protect young people in H&F."
County lines
The 40-minute touring play follows 'Tyler', a vulnerable 12-year-old who becomes entangled with a charismatic older teenager called 'G'. Through gifts of expensive trainers and small favours, G gradually draws Tyler into drug running across county lines.
The script shows the grooming process step by step – from initial kindness and building trust, through to small requests that escalate into serious criminal activity, and threats that keep victims trapped.
Backed by a £1million investment, the Gangs Unit brings together council professionals and H&F-funded police officers to identify at-risk young people and provide early intervention. The unit has supported 184 local young people and families.
Cllr Rebecca Harvey, H&F Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion and Community Safety, said:
Together with our partners at the Lyric, we've given more than a thousand young people the knowledge they need to recognise exploitation and stay safe. This is just one way that we're working to make Hammersmith & Fulham stronger, safer and kinder."
Opening up conversations
Playwright and former Hammersmith resident, Azuka Oforka, wrote the script after speaking with local young people known to the justice system to ensure it reflected real lived experience.
In the play, Tyler's sister Bailey spots the warning signs but struggles to intervene. After watching the play, local Year Six pupil Bea said: "I now fully understand what it means to be exploited and not to trust some strangers, especially if it's too good to be true."
The cast were drawn from the Lyric's SPRINGBOARD programme – a free training initiative for 18 to 25-year-olds from underrepresented backgrounds in H&F and neighbouring boroughs. Each year, ten trainees spend two days a week learning theatre skills and preparing for professional careers.
After each performance, a member of the Gangs Unit led a question-and-answer session with pupils, and schools received an education pack to continue classroom discussions.
Teachers reported that every pupil who saw the play was better informed about the dangers of criminal exploitation, with survey results showing that 85% believed their pupils would now be more confident in knowing where to seek help if personally affected.
"I'm more aware of people trying to lure me in with free things," said Shepherds Bush primary school pupil Azad, aged 11. "They might use me to do illegal things to return the favour."
Celebrating 130 years
The award comes during the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre's 130th birthday year. The historic venue, which opened its Frank Matcham-designed auditorium in 1895, continues to bring world-class theatre to the heart of Hammersmith while working with young people across the borough.
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