Endorsed by the Born Free Foundation & Broadcast in 165 countries around the world
The cast
and the story
Introduced by
Virginia McKenna
We are delighted and honoured that Virginia McKenna OBE, Bafta award winning actress, wildlife campaigner and co-founder of the international wildlife conservation and animal welfare charity the Born Free Foundation has provided a personal introduction to SNARED.
"This extraordinary work appears, at first, to be a simple tale of conflict; of good and bad, played out in the delirium of a memory. But, of course, that’s just the surface. This tale reflects the complex relationships, beliefs, needs and desires that lurk in the appalling tragedy of poaching, which reaches industrial scales of suffering and loss, as markets are driven well beyond the shores of Africa. This goes close to the bone of our most challenging work, and we are committed to ensure that this is heard. And understood."
Howard Jones, CEO, Born Free
Originally conceived for the stage by Tim Marriott, SNARED toured the South east of England in 2012/2013 to critical acclaim from a variety of individuals and organisations including respected wildlife campaigners Will Travers OBE, Ian Redmond OBE and Bill Oddie OBE.
This production, advised by Dr. Cheryl Mvula and specially adapted for radio by writer and director, Floyd Toulet, further explores the tensions surrounding the poaching of Africa’s wildlife; the topical issues surrounding the trophy hunting debate and the growing conflict between the needs of the continent’s people and its wildlife.
The Story
Today...
A Zambian man is nursed through a recurrence of malaria by his daughter and grand daughter. As they try to manage his fever he relives an event that continues to haunt him.
Three Years Ago...
In the African bush a hunter is confronted by an armed conservationist and her ranger and bound to a tree with one of his own snares. A terrible storm breaks and forces them to remain where they are until it passes. The hunter, convinced that he is to be executed, engages the conservationist in a dangerous game of argument and counter argument in a desperate bid to free himself.
In this tense tale of entrapment and deceit, who can tell the hunter from the hunted?
Whose world is it anyway? One of the oldest questions humankind has ever faced: and the most current. SNARED asks it all over again in new and dramatic form.
Simon Barnes, of The Times
The Cast
 Brian Hickey (Playing Rudi de Beers) was born in Hong Kong and spent his formative years in the Far East before moving to the UK where he trained as an actor at LAMDA. Theatre work includes: Silas Marner (Orange Tree); Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Crucible); Comedy of Errors (Bristol Old Vic and Barbican). Film and television work includes: Londongrad; Elephant Juice; Pride and Extreme Prejudice; Rosemary and Thyme; Perfect Scoundrels; A Dark Adapted Eye; Casualty; The Bill. |  Catherine Toulet (playing Emily Hart) was a Performing Arts student at Barking College of Technology in East London before she studied Education at Homerton College, Cambridge. Cathy has been an English and Drama teacher for many years, formerly in East London and currently, in East Kent. |  Manny Mvula (playing Mangani Bwalya Mwamba) is an original cast member of SNARED who was formerly a Zambian safari guide, Anti-Poaching Unit operative and lecturer. Manny has worked extensively in education as a senior lecturer in animal management, conservation and sustainable tourism. He is also co-founder of the High Five Club charity (www.highfiveclub.co.uk), that seeks to reduce poverty in communities living alongside wildlife in Africa. |
|---|---|---|
 Grace Maina (playing Sonya) was born in Kenya and spent much of her childhood there until she moved to England. Grace is very close to her family and very fond of her three handsome nephews. |  Claudine Kaze Ingabire (playing Zeli) first arrived in the UK as a refugee, fleeing the Rwanda confict and genocide. Since then she has found employment in a variety of positions including assistant nursery teacher, interpreter and Sunday school teacher. Claudine has recently also studied for and received a degree in Theology at Canterbury Christ Church University. |  Hannah Igbokwe (playing Chipo) was born in London to Nigerian parents. Currently a year 8 student in secondary school, Hannah has a passion for acting, singing and playing the piano. TV work includes: commercial Aqua Crystals lab; Cancel Cancer Africa. |
Consultancy & Creative
Dr. Cheryl Mvula MBE
Wildlife and Cultural Consultant to SNARED for radio
A conservationist, social anthropologist and human rights activist, Cheryl has worked in wildlife areas of Africa for over 25 years.
She works with rural African communities to reduce poverty and conserve wildlife, extensively in the Maasai villages in Kenya's Masai Mara and in Zambia's Luangwa Valley.
She also works with a range of conservation NGOs including the Born Free Foundation and Zambia Primate Project, runs the responsible tourism consultancy Tribal Voice Communications, and co-founded and manages the High Five Club African development charity.
Floyd Toulet
Writer & Director of SNARED for radio
Floyd Toulet was born in Johannesburg in 1963 and spent much of his childhood travelling between South Africa, Mauritius and Australia until he finally settled in England.
Before writing for the stage, Floyd worked for over 20 years as a freelance advertising copywriter.
His recent theatre work includes The Terribly Disappointing Mr, Pummel and KNOCKKNOCK.
