In Prison
Support
The large scale project Hello Dolly! takes place in March 2027 in Bronzefield Prison. It will cost around £220k. The project is funded entirely by generous individuals and charitable trusts. It is not funded by the government.
We are looking for the 180 individuals to donate towards the project.
Hello Dolly! 3-7 March 2027
After a month of full-time rehearsal, prisoners perform alongside professionals with a live orchestra. We transform the gym into a theatre.
What we do
We continue to work in Europe’s largest female prison, HMP Bronzefield near Heathrow Airport.
There are three parts to the programme:
- weekly classes are the backbone of the programme
- public intimate showcases in the Visits Hall
- the spectacular bonanza performances in the Gym (which is transformed into a theatre)
Dev Muniah, Head of Safety, Health & Wellbeing, maintains statistics on the levels of violence in the prison. He has noticed that while there is a Pimlico Opera project, the levels of violence falls.
“Some of the women on the project have arrived from other prisons where they could not be managed. They were prolific at self-harm and violence.
“Here, through the journey, they feel value and purpose. The project (1) improves their self-worth (2) gives them the hope that in their lives there will be things to enjoy (3) shows them normality is possible.”
Confidence, energy, teamwork, and positive thinking all contribute to rehabilitation and social integration.
Since 1989, more than 60,000 members of the public have been taken into prison by Pimlico Opera and more than 1,000 prisoners have been involved. The company has given crucial first employment to prisoners on their release. Over 10,000 prisoners have seen a performance.
About Bronzefield
HMP Bronzefield is one of only 13 UK women’s prisons. A woman in prison is often a long way from her family and her children are often taken into care. Bronzefield has a mother & baby unit for 12 women and 13 babies up to the age of 18 months. The prison is operated by Sodexo Justice Services who recognise the need for regular purposeful activity and collaborate in bringing about Pimlico Opera’s prison programme.
Prisoner testimonials
BBC doc about Pimlico Opera
Guys, Dolls, & D wing (1993) was nominated for a BAFTA
Did you know?
27% of the prison population were in care. Of the under 25s, 50% were in care.
45% of adults are re-convicted within a year of release but 97% express a desire to stop offending.
Of the 85k people in prison today, around 4k are women. There are very few women’s prisons, so an offender is often a long way from her family and her children are often taken into care.
