The Laramie Project, Walton Playhouse Choice of play is probably the toughest challenge facing any amateur theatre company. Do you play safe and go for comedies and pot boilers that guarantee full houses – or tackle something more challenging and risk box office failure?

The Ember Players` production of “The Laramie Project” at the Walton Playhouse last week was no soft option.

Based on the vicious homophobic murder of 21 year-old Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming ten years ago, the play explores attitudes to gay and lesbian lifestyles through dramatised interviews with the people of the town including clergy, straight and gay men and women of all ages, the Muslim community - and the parents of both Matthew and his young killers.

This drama documentary would be a test to any amateur company and, in less capable hands, could have been a disaster. But The Ember Players delivered one of the most compelling pieces of community theatre I have seen in years. Performed in an intimate space in Walton Playhouse, with twenty actors playing sixty parts, it was sensitive, thought-provoking and intensely moving. Director Ann Segall`s staging and use of video to convey news reportage of the period was masterly – but her most significant achievement was enabling the cast to behave convincingly as their real-life counterparts - forced to address the fact that a `hate crime` had come to define their community. Even in these enlightened times, homosexuality is an `elephant in the room` in some quarters. We can see it in the reports of English football clubs preventing players from `coming out` for fear of damaging their commercial market value. The Ember Players chose to raise awareness of intolerance and lack of understanding by involving Surrey Police in the run-up to their production. Many will have been shocked to discover that over 600 race, faith, disability and homophobic offences were reported in the county between April and October 2009 - and it was testament to the impact of “The Laramie Project” that the bar at Walton Playhouse was abuzz with audience members challenging their own attitudes and preconceptions over interval drinks. Congratulations, Ember players, on an outstanding piece of theatre that gave us food for thought and could well make a difference for many victims of homophobic crime who, for various reasons, find it difficult to seek help. This drama group deserved its full houses and is a credit to the community.

Nick Handel