‘So much magic. So much love. So much laughter. So much work. So much rage. And so many tears.’
Connor is, well, Connor. He loves buses, Eddie Stobart and Lego. He also has learning disabilities. When he dies an entirely preventable death in NHS care, his mum, Sara, can’t get a straight answer as to how it happened.
But Sara and her family won’t stop asking questions and soon an extraordinary campaign emerges. Demanding the truth, it uncovers a scandal of neglect and indifference that goes beyond Connor’s death to thousands of others.
Sara Ryan’s impassioned, frank and surprisingly funny memoir Justice for Laughing Boy is adapted for the stage by Stephen Unwin. It was first performed at Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in 2024, in a co-production with Theatre Royal Bath.
‘An urgent look at our broken care system… compelling and heartfelt… a mighty testimony that will leave you furious’
— The Times
‘A moving story about love, laughter and the indomitability of one family’s fighting spirit… deft and shocking’
— Telegraph
‘Heartfelt and colourful… a story told with love and fury’
— Guardian
‘Hard hitting… balances the procession of grim, galling details against humanising, light-hearted moments… succeeds both as a tribute to Connor’s family, and as a galvanising call for deeper compassion and greater support’
— The Stage
‘Powerful… hideously timely… a shocking story’
— Evening Standard
‘Gripping and thought-provoking’
— Reviews Hub
‘A bittersweet docu-play about brutal neglect and apathy… a beautiful elegiac celebration of Connor Sparrowhawk’s life and what it means to fight for someone you love… effective and enormously touching’
— Broadway World
