The long fight for justice

Vernon Vanriel has battled for 13 years to prove his right to remain in the UK and now his story has been turned into a musical.

By Rodney

and Matthew Chadder

ABOXER AND victim of the Windrush scandal who was left stranded in Jamaica for a decade became the subject of musical drama On The Ropes earlier this year.

Vernon Vanriel brought a High Court challenge against the government after he claimed the Home Office refused to fully compensate him for his loss of benefits after he was wrongly prevented from reentering the UK.

The 67-year-old came to London at the age of six in 1962 and went on a trip to Jamaica for two years in 2006.

On his return in 2008, he was denied permission to re-enter the country.

The government, defending against his claim, say he received “appropriate” compensation. Battling for 13 years to prove his right to remain in the UK, suffering homelessness and poverty, Vanriel finally returned in 2018.

He later received a personal apology from former home secretary Priti Patel over the “shameful” injustice and hardship he suffered.

He was one of nearly 100 members of the Windrush generation the Home Office subsequently admitted it had wrongly removed from the UK.

On The Ropes was co-written by the Vanreil, together with sporting playwright Dougie Blaxland. Pulsating with the rhythmic energies of blues, reggae and boxing, On The Ropes is a celebration of how courage, dignity and a fighting spirit can triumph over prejudice and injustice.

Vanriel talked to the Voice of Sport’s Rodney Hinds and Matthew Chadder about his life, career and the upcoming play itself.

The Voice: How incredible is it to tell your story in this way, after being voiceless for so long?

VV: It has been amazing having the opportunity to work with Dougie Blaxland to tell my story. I knew nothing about theatre other than the kind I experienced in the ring as a boxer, but Dougie and I have worked together on the project for two years now and I have benefited in so many ways.

It has been the first time in many years that someone has listened to me and it has felt that what I say matters. The process has also helped me make sense of my life and feel that it matters too.

The Voice: Just how important was it to be involved with the writing and creative process? Would you have considered this project if you weren’t able to have direct influence?

VV: It is as if being so closely involved in writing the play has given me ownership of my life for the first time since it was stolen from me by the British government when they refused me entry back into the country. It has also been a kind of therapy – working on the play has restored self-belief and self esteem.

The Voice: How did you communicate your story and vision to the rest of your creative team?

VV: I spent so many hours talking to Dougie – we had a meeting every week for six months and he recorded everything I said and then sent me notes to check he’d got everything right. We then talked about how to shape everything into a manageable story and what we would include and leave out. Dougie then went away and produced a script which I helped him edit. It has been a real team effort.

The Voice: What was the decision behind telling such a weighty story in a joyful way? Why was this approach taken?

The Voice: What do you hope comes of the play? What is success for you?

VV: I want the play to inspire people to stand up for themselves and their communities.

I want everyone to be aware of how individuals can stand up to governments, but most of all I want audiences to be aware of the injustice that has been enacted in their name by the government.

LIFE

VV: If I learned anything from my boxing days and the 13 years of banishment from Britain it is that you never give up no matter what. Because of this I wanted the play to inspire hope in the firm belief that this gives us the best chance of triumph over at adversity.

In fact, I think the play is a good reflection of my life – the instinct to keep fighting is what shaped my boxing career and it’s what sustained me through the 13 years of struggle in Jamaica.

The Voice: How were you approached to become involved with this project?

VV: Dougie had written a number of plays about sporting personalities – the last about another Tottenham boy, the late footballer Laurie Cunningham – and this brought him into contact with our MP David Lammy who put him in touch with me with the idea to write a play about my life. I had thought about doing a book but the idea of having a live audience like back in the boxing days was too exciting to resist!