I was born on the 14th August 1960 in the Royal Borough of Kensington (as it then was until merger with Chelsea in 1965) at 40 Lancaster Road, Ladbroke Grove, W11 1QU. Sixty-five years to the day, 16th August (well, almost), I am reviewing a show, Yes I am!, set in Ladbroke Grove. I was born there because my mother had run away from Ireland aged 14 in 1955 to meet friends at the KPH (Keep Paddy Happy) pub on the corner where Ladbroke Grove and Lancaster Road meet. She became a tenant of the notorious landlord Peter Rachman. His eviction techniques are best described by Lynn Barber in her memoir “An Education” (2009). Of the three iconic buildings at the heart of Yes I am!, one is on Lancaster Road (Grenfell Tower), Trellick Tower is just north of it, and Kensal House is a walk-up in Ladbroke Grove itself. Having such a strong personal connection to Ladbroke Grove compelled me to review this show.
Helena Thompson has campaigned for twenty years to save and refurbish the community space on the Kensal House estate. Built in 1937 and designed by Maxwell Fry, it was hailed as the first urban village with all amenities on site. In her one woman one-hour dramalogue (she walks and talks), Helena tells the story of how council estates have become demonised in the decades since privatisation and the sale of council houses. Her show prompts the question: What has changed in public attitudes that we’ve abandoned the grand visions of Maxwell Fry and now see social housing as being housing of last resort: residualisation is the buzz word. She brings together three separate narratives to make her case – Trellick Tower, Erno Goldfinger’s brutalist behemoth of 1972, the fire at Grenfell Tower (a 24-storey residential structure built in 1974) on 14th June 2017 and Kensal House, where she lives.
Deploying a full repertoire of agitprop techniques (circle time, standing and chanting mantras, video clips, party hats, poetry readings, cardboard boxes to represent residential towers), Helena gives a passionate, powerful and deeply personally lambasting of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) and a clarion call to arms for the defence of social housing. She is strongest when exposing the Machiavellian machinations of RBKC. Their strategy at Kensal House appears to have been to let the place rot by refusing to do any repairs and in this way demoralise the residents with floods and mould into capitulating to a private redevelopment of the estate. Such schemes usually result in relocation out of London. Luton or Hastings usually. This is nothing new; we were turfed out of Lancaster Road and allocated a council flat in Hackney in 1967. The strategy at Trellick Towers was to evict tenants in arrears, install a concierge, and sell as many flats as possible on the open market. The strategy at Grenfell was to ignore the tenants until the fateful night of 14th June 2017. Tellingly a fire broke out at Trellick in 2017, but the concrete was so thick the fire didn’t take hold.
Although Helena had been campaigning since 2005, it’s clear from her show that RBKC changed its tune regarding finding the money for Kensal House as a result of guilt, remorse and regret about Grenfell. Helena’s campaign has raised over £4 million for both the theatre space and estate refurbishment. The old adage ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ applies mightily hereabouts, unfortunately. After Grenfell, Helena was the target of such comments as “…you’re just a skinny white middle-class bitch“, “you are not a resident”, “you are a traitor”, “you’re a witch”. That she has had the resilience and courage to overcome such abuse is a testimony to her fortitude and endurance. She is now taking her story to other estates in an attempt to inspire communities to form action groups to defend their estate. I wish her well. The campaign is obviously much needed and timely.
Review by John O’Brien
It’s taken two decades of artistic activism to make this masterclass in community organising, an epic true-life story of social change. All are welcome at the party to celebrate SPID Theatre‘s 20th birthday, dramatising their incredible two decade journey to life. Through film and collective action, it exposes the insidious horror of divide and rule and turns a spotlight on negligent landlords’ managed decline of mental health.
The redemptive show is performed by SPID’s Artistic Director, Helena Thompson, who founded the award winning charity in her youth to champion art that advocates housing justice. This is the uplifting, educational story of how she raised £4m to restore her council estate theatre, spear headed estate wide refurbishment and sued the landlord SPID shares with Grenfell.
The performance has been developed over the course of SPID’s 7 year refurbishment, which began following the Grenfell Tower fire and completed this year. It marks the launch of SPID’s join justice campaign, having toured estates, museums, cinemas and theatres nationwide including the V&A, Riverside Studios, SPID Theatre, Trellick Tower, Bush Theatre and BFI.
Performer and writer: Helena Thompson
Remount Director: Mel Cook
Producer: Rosie Hull
Technical Director: Ben Esterson
Remount Designer: Leonah Joseph
Original Set: Aqiong Zhang
Film editor: Kai Gama
Inspired by: Estate Endz, SPID’s Living History program created by Nnenna Samson and Mariana Sastre
Audio: Sylvia Akajioyi, Sean Cleary, Safiye Dizdar, Ivor Flint, Adnan Hemani, Naomi Israel, Taevian Ollivierre, Sophia Shreemarti Stewart, Sanna El-Wakili, Michelle Widdrington
YES I AM!
Riverside Studios
16 August to 6 September 2025 (selected dates)
