A DoL House Review
DoL House is a new drama examining Deprivation of Liberty Orders (DoL) in the UK. The story centres on fifteen‑year‑old Leyla (Anais Lone), confined to an unregistered placement home under a DoL order. It ultimately asks: when does state protection become absolute control? And is there another way?
As the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (FJO) explains: “Children in England and Wales can be deprived of their liberty for welfare reasons (risks to their safety or that of others). If a place cannot be found for them in a secure children’s home or mental health facility the High Court can use the powers under its inherent jurisdiction to deprive them of their liberty in an unregulated placement.” Data from the FJO shows that one third of young people in unregistered placements are subject to DoL restrictions. Many are supervised 24/7 by untrained staff, and the production captures this with accuracy.
The set — concrete walls, no natural light, a bed, a desk, and a single black garbage bag of clothes — traps both Leyla and the audience in the same restricted space. That garbage bag hit me hard; I’ve heard stories of children’s belongings being moved in one. Video projections flicker shakily across the walls, mirroring Leyla’s state of mind. The few rows of benches and stools to the front and one side create an intimacy that feels intrusive — exactly as it should. BAFTA‑winner David Watson said, “The young people subject to these orders are sat in unregulated placements, watched for twenty‑four hours a day. It’s something of that claustrophobia with which we hope to confront the audience.”
Lone’s performance is extraordinary. Her darting eyes, defensive posture and flashes of teenage bravado capture a young person who is both fierce and terrified. A teddy bear and, later, a bottle of bubbles remind us — pointedly — that she is still a child.
Jason (James Atwell) and Jag (Zarif Hussain) play the two agency workers assigned to monitor Leyla. Jason repeats “keeping you safe” like a mantra, clinging to procedure. Jag, younger and less experienced, tries to build rapport but in inappropriate ways. Neither is trained for the therapeutic work Leyla desperately needs- again a reflection on wider system issues.
The play situates Leyla’s story within a national emergency. DoL orders — originally intended as short‑term, high‑court interventions for extreme risk — have increased thirteen‑fold in seven years. As NJO states “the rise in DoL orders is reflective of fragmented services, limited suitable accommodation and a lack of coordinated, trauma-informed care”. A DoL House brings these system issues into sharp focus.
All three performers are alumni of The Big House, the organisation behind the production. For over a decade, The Big House has worked with care‑affected young people to transform lives through the power of performance. Founder and artistic director Maggie Norris worked with ex‑offenders and was struck by how many had grown up in care. That realisation compelled her to act, and The Big House was born.
This play has been two years in development, shaped collaboratively with young people, judges and legal specialists to ensure it reflects collective experience rather than any one individual’s trauma. That ethos shows. The storytelling is raw, honest and respectful of experiences.
For those working with children and young people — whether in Local Authorities, Education, Health or the Legal system — A DoL House is more than theatre; it is a reality. It is confronting and uncomfortable. It sends a message that we must do better, but the responsibility cannot fall solely on frontline workers. This is a societal issue — one that demands engagement from policymakers, courts and the public.
A DoL House runs 17 June – 11 July 2026.
80 minutes, no interval. Tickets: £24 (£20 conc), £16 under‑26, and free for care‑experienced people.
Address: The Big House 151 Englefield Road, N1 3LH
Website: https://thebighouse.uk.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thebighouse_
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