Raising Awareness around Child Criminal Exploitation
County Lines is a powerful applied theatre production exploring the realities of child criminal exploitation and the methods used by organised drug networks to groom and control young people.
Over the past decade the production has been seen by hundreds of thousands of young people across the UK, supporting schools and communities to better understand one of the most pressing safeguarding issues facing young people today.
Across the UK, vulnerable young people are being targeted, manipulated and exploited by criminal gangs to transport and sell drugs far from home. Often described as ‘County Lines’, this form of exploitation relies on grooming, coercion, intimidation and the creation of debt to trap young people in cycles that can be extremely difficult to escape.
Told through a gripping two-hander performance, the play follows the story of a young person who begins to realise that what initially felt like friendship, opportunity and belonging may in fact be something far more dangerous. As the pressure builds, the story carefully unpacks the stages of the grooming process used by criminal networks – from identification and engagement, through relationship building and dependency, to entrapment and the moment when a young person feels they have no way out.
Designed specifically for young people, County Lines creates a safe but honest platform for discussion about child criminal exploitation, helping audiences recognise warning signs, challenge myths around choice and responsibility, and understand where support and help can be found.
The play and post-show talk last for 55 minutes and raises awareness around:-
- What County Lines is and how child criminal exploitation can affect young people
- The grooming process used by criminal networks, including how young people are identified, engaged, manipulated and trapped
- The warning signs that someone may be being exploited
- The pressures that can lead young people to become involved, including fear, loyalty, reputation and debt
- Where young people can go for help, support and advice
Just watched the amazing Narrative Alchemy perform their County Lines drama. The performance was excellent!
School Improvement Officer, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Project Information
Running Time 55 minutes including post-show talk
Get In 45 mins
Get Out 30 mins
Cast Size 2
Performance Space 4m x 4m
Staging Ground Level – End On
We can perform the play for intimate audiences or to entire year groups at a time. All we need is a performance space roughly 4m x 4m and somewhere to plug in our sound system. The cast do not use mics so performance venues must be suitable for unamplified voices. The cast aim to arrive one hour before the show start time to set up and take about 30 minutes to pack down.
Target Audience
- Young People (year 7+)
- FE colleges
- Parents, carers, teachers & professionals working with young people
Available 2025/2026
- £695+vat per show (AM or PM slots available)
- Or you can book the whole day for £1,295+vat and have up to 3 x performances in the day
Narrative Alchemy Theatre Co.
Theatre productions to raise awareness, get young people talking and tackle knife crime, grooming, misogyny, drugs and mental health.
Booking
To book or for further assistance, please call 0161 236 1448 to talk to our friendly team. Alternatively, fill in the enquiry form below and we’ll get back to you with availability in your area…
Theatre for Schools 