LPT: Delighted to have this opportunity to chat with Farah and Jess about their play, MAGGOTS, opening at Lion and Unicorn Theatre on Tuesday. 

Firstly, please could you tell us a little about the story.

Jess Barton (image on right): The play focuses on the residents of a block of flats in London, who begin to realise that their neighbour has been missing for a while. Ignored and let down by the authorities, they are forced to live with the unsettling realisation that something isn’t quite right. Exploring loneliness, community, and our failure to connect, MAGGOTS is a darkly humorous and emotional journey, but with some hopeful and uplifting moments too!

Farah Najib (image on left): Yes, it’s about a group of neighbours’ lives intersecting in a way that they never have before.

Bold title, although possibly one of the least liked creatures, what do maggots mean to you?

FN: ‘Maggots’ started out as a throwaway working title, and then the more I delved into the script, the more fitting it felt. In the context of the play, the maggots represent a very unpleasant disruption of the day-to-day lives of this group of neighbours; both a literal and metaphorical infestation. Whilst writing, I found myself falling down some very strange internet rabbit-holes about the symbolism of maggots - the creatures are said to represent decay, rot, misfortune, loss, corruption, and also, interestingly, renewal. That all felt very fitting to the themes of the text, so I stuck with the title.

Have either of you had any kind of experience related to the subject matter of poor housing?

FN: I’ve lived in London eight years now and so of course I’ve had my fair share of rubbish housing situations! Mice, mould, damp, bedbugs, money-grabbing landlords, uncaring estate agents. It seems like right now, the situation is getting even worse, which is so sad. The play certainly touches on this, and in particular, the ways that modern living can foster a sense of disconnection from the people surrounding you.

Farah, your plays have already won the Tony Craze Award 2020 (Soho Theatre) and been longlisted for the Bruntwood prize (2022).   What drew you to this company (Flight or Fight Productions) and to this theatre (Lion and Unicorn) at this stage in your career?

FN:  As most writers and theatre-makers know, the new writing scene feels pretty challenging at the moment! It felt like the right time to take the plunge and put some work on; this is actually my first time bringing a full-length piece of work to stage so it’s been a great learning curve so far. In terms of Fight or Flight, I have a personal relationship with both Ross and Jess who run the company, and we’ve been wanting to collaborate on something for a while now. In September last year, I returned from a week-long writing retreat having really explored the idea of Maggots and the form it might take. Fight or Flight had a slot to use at the L&U in early 2024, so we decided to go for it and work together! I’m excited by Fight or Flight’s interest in the minutiae of human behaviour, which really lines up with the detailed storytelling form I’ve adopted for this script. As well as that, the dark, intimate setting of the L&U feels like the perfect space to share this story with an audience. 

Jess, what is the first thing you noticed about the script and how have your perceptions changed as you have become more familiar with it?

JB: Having read an extract from a very early draft, I was immediately drawn to the storytelling nature of this script and Farah’s nuanced observations of human behaviour! We’re not subtle at Fight or Flight about our fascination with people, and what contributes to a person’s identity, so having the opportunity to explore this in a completely new way felt very exciting.