A thought-provoking play about hate crime will be performed at the Playhouse in Walton next month.

Esher based drama troupe, The Ember Players have been rehearsing for The Laramie Project, an American play which is based on the real life killing of 21 year student Matthew Shepard at the hands of homophobic murderers in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998.

In the Ember Players production, there are 20 actors playing over 60 parts and some scenes will be filmed ahead of the performance date to reconstruct the news elements of the play.

The troupe are hoping that the performance will not only entertain but make the audience think about important issues such as homophobia in their day to day lives.

Director Anne Segall, said: “Rehearsals are making every member of the production team examine their own feelings. Every citizen likes to think he or she is without prejudice and would always do the right thing if they noticed abuse against a minority group. But perhaps we should think how we might answer difficult questions should something like Matthew’s killing happen in our community.”

The Ember Players feel that the message of the play is very relevant to the people of Elmbridge particularly after a homophobic murder took place at the Cowey Sale beauty spot in Walton in February 2008.

Mark Malone, a gardener from Walton, was sentenced to life imprisonment after stabbing 50 year old retired accountant Jeff Akers with a kitchen knife by Walton Bridge in a savage homophobic attack.

In a six month period between April and October 2009, 600 incidents of faith, race, disability and homophobic offences were reported in Surrey, with 81 of those in Elmbridge.

Due to these statistics and the fact that Mr Aker’s murder was so high profile, Surrey police have fully supported the Ember Players in raising awareness about discrimination.

Sergeant Andy Crane, of Surrey police’s diversity directorate, said: “Mr Aker’s murder offers a bleak reminder that even the most extreme forms of hate crime can manifest themselves in Surrey. Thankfully instances of murder are extremely rare but hate crime can take many forms, including verbal abuse, intimidation, damage to property, or graffiti.

“Sometimes incidents may go unreported, particularly if the victim is keeping their sexual orientation private – perhaps even from family and friends. Part of the reason we are working closely with the Ember Players is to raise awareness about these issues and let people know we have specifically trained officers to support victims of homophobic crime and they can come to us in confidence.”

The Laramie Project, was created in 2002 by members of the New York Tectonic Theatre Project who visted Laramie and performed hundreds of interviews with the inhabitants of the town. The play is made up of those interviews and news reports from the time, and delivers a strong message about the feelings those residents felt about their town becoming known for this one horrendous crime.

Gino Meriano of the charity and support service Gay Surrey, said: “It’s a good move by the Ember Players as it is very difficult to get the production performed in Surrey. There were talks about bringing into schools, but that basically turned out to be a big no no. Anything that actively promotes this message is a really good idea.”

The Ember Players, were founded in 1948 and put on an average of three shows a year.

The Laramie Project will be at the Walton Playhouse, in Hurst Grove, from Thursday, February 11 to Saturday, February 13. Tickets cost £12 and are available by phoning the box office on 0208 398 6470.

Based at Ember sports club, in The Drive, they are constantly looking for new members to perform, promote or work backstage. Anyone interested in joining the troupe should visit www.emberplayers.org.uk