This Old VICE Article About the Refugee Crisis Is Now a Play

In 2015, at the height of the refugee crisis, British writer Henry C. Krempels wrote an article for VICE about his experience on an overnight train from Milan to Paris. At the time, many refugees and immigrants were taking that train in an attempt to leave Italy and head further north into Europe. Krempels was living in Italy back then, and due to his fear of flying, usually took this train on his trips back to the UK. One of those times, though, something unexpected happened.

He'd been in the train's bar, and when he returned to his cabin around 2AM, he found a woman hiding in his bunk. Before he could say anything, she jumped out of bed and leaped out of the cabin. That particular moment inspired him to write his latest play, The Sleeper, which Anima Theatre Company are taking to the Edinburgh Fringe this month.

I spoke to Henry about how exactly he's turned a moment of merely seconds into a play, and about the responsibility theatre makers have when telling the stories of unheard voices.