Fifth Word and Nottingham Playhouse

All The Little Lights

Jane Upton

Directed by: Laura Ford

I know you want what everyone else wants. A family. A home. But you’ll never have it. Cos of what’s inside you.

Joanne and Lisa were like sisters. Then Lisa got away. Now she’s back, but the ghosts from their past still haunt her. Amy just wants to belong.

Three forgotten girls spending one last night by the railway lines. Desperately trying to recover what they’ve lost. Friendship. Family. Safety. While the threat of sexual exploitation lurks in the shadows.

Deeply moving and darkly funny, this award-winning new play tells the story of the girls that slip through the cracks. In a world where nobody wants you, what would you do to survive?

Jane Upton was a joint winner of the 2016 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright for All The Little Lights. Now, following an acclaimed UK tour, it receives its London premiere at Arcola.


Developed with support from child sexual exploitation awareness charity Safe and Sound.


“★★★★★ Terrifically realistic and darkly funny ... truly extraordinary and moving theatre”Nottingham Post

“★★★★★ The writing is pitch-perfect, the acting is simply sublime … genuinely an unmissable show”LondonTheatre1.com

“★★★★★ Quite simply devastating … a potent reminder of the power of theatre … the three actors are simply electric … All the Little Lights is more than thought-provoking, it is transformative as well as entertaining”IthankyouTheatre

“★★★★★ All the Little Lights is sixty minutes of pure captivating theatre … The writing is subtle and brilliant”Theatre Weekly

“★★★★★ Jane Upton’s play has created a window into a world that has been ignored for far too long … truly incredible”Everything Theatre

“★★★★★ Electric, exhilarating … an extraordinary play .... the performances are slick, and the production is near flawless”Theatre Box

“★★★★★ Extraordinary … Director Laura Ford and designer Max Dorey create a memorable slice of life … a little jewel of compassion”Morning Star

“★★★★ A brave and timely play laced with humour and full of characters to care about ... this UK tour couldn’t be more timely or more important.”The Stage

“★★★★ This clever and delicately performed production … written and performed with incredible commitment and compassion”Everything Theatre

“★★★★★ Jane Upton’s ever so important and powerful play is heart-breaking, thought-provoking and cannot be missed.”Millennial London

“An astonishing achievement … The best play I have seen this year; it is urgent, compelling, and demands an audience”The Play’s The Thing

“The atmosphere looms over the scene like a caged beast, ready to strike at any moment … Director Ford keeps the pot bubbling, bringing it close to boiling over without ever quite losing control of the pace or tension”Culture By Night

“As scintillating as it’s heartbreaking … Anything Upton writes now will excite the keenest interest.”Fringe Review

“Upton handles immense tragedy with skill … All the Little Lights shines more than just a little”Camden New Journal

“The three members of the cast are wonderful … phenomenal script by Jane Upton … the best play I’ve seen this year”The Stuart Review