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Rough sleeper’s story takes to the stage

April 15 2011
Entire cast sleep rough at Gatwick airport


When Anthony Delaney was given an ASBO for sleeping rough at an airport, he probably never imagined what his conviction would lead to.

But now the story of the three years Delaney spent living at Gatwick Airport has been made into a theatrical production. No Particular Place to Go examines the challenge Delaney faced and celebrates the willpower he showed to survive. Doug Devaney, an old school friend of Delaney’s who owns a theatre company and was inspired when he heard the remarkable story, is producing the play.

To try to understand and accurately depict what Delaney went through, the entire cast spent several days sleeping rough at the airport.

"The strip lighting is constant, there’s a constant noise and buzz about the place," Devaney told the BBC. "Sleep deprivation and the ability to get an hour’s sleep every now and then is really the essence of surviving."

As well as telling the story of Delaney’s struggle to survive at the airport, the play also explores the seedier side of airport life, including the practice of human trafficking.

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