The Coat

Having been resident in London for nearly ten years, Abraham is about to become a British citizen. To make peace with his past he needs to return a coat he received as a donation while living in the Jungle refugee camp in Calais, his final stage before arriving in the UK.

He tracks down the original owner of the jacket, a solitary older man called Tom. Both Abraham and Tom are forced to revisit chapters from their pasts they would rather forget. A story about forced migration, asylum, and acceptance.

Abraham … Tewodros Aregawe
Tom …Toby Jones
Amara … Bethlehem Wolday Myers
Dawit … Abel Atsede
Registrar … Stephanie Lane
With Gvantsa Kartlelishvili and Sara Zeus

Written by Dawn Harrison
Director: Pavlos Christodoulou
Sound Design by Alisdair MacGregor
Executive Producer: Jeremy Mortimer
Music by Goitom Fesshaye

A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4​

Produced in association with Phosphoros Theatre, a theatre company staging performances with and for refugees and asylum seekers.
Thanks to Rafał Kołacki for permission to use field recordings from "Hijra. Noise from the Jungle".

Listen here