CODE on the Steps – Powerful Theatre, Powerful Message

It was Sunday afternoon. The shopping centre isn’t usually busy at this time, but today it was. The steps of the Orchard Centre in Didcot were alive with expectation – families gathered, passers-by paused, and a buzz of curiosity filled the air. We were waiting for CODE, a performance by the exceptional theatre company Justice in Motion, and as the music began and the cast emerged, it was clear we were about to experience something out of the ordinary.

CODE is no conventional play. Funded in part by Didcot Powerhouse, it’s a raw, kinetic blend of physical theatre, parkour, trials bike stunts and live rap. On a temporary urban playground, this dazzling, up-close production tells a harrowing story of County Lines and knife crime – and the young lives being drawn into it. The phone vibrates. A message. Times, numbers, deals – and a warning. All in code. At home, in school, on the street. There’s no way out… is there?

What struck me most was the sheer immediacy of it. The performers don’t hold back – flipping over railings, balancing on scaffolds, speeding in on bikes. And as the story unfolds, we glimpse what it feels like to be a young person caught in a trap: seduced, threatened, and exploited by people who know exactly how to spot vulnerability and how to weaponise it.

Today’s performance was made even more moving by the inclusion of four young people from Didcot TRAIN, a brilliant local organisation supporting and mentoring young people. Over the past few days, these young performers have been learning parkour, rapping, and performance skills to take part in the show – and their presence brought an added poignancy. Real Didcot teenagers, stepping into a story that is all too close to home.

Justice in Motion is known for making theatre that matters. Their previous show, ON EDGE, tackled modern slavery in the construction industry. CODE follows that same powerful approach – blending movement, music, and deeply researched testimony into a performance that is both thrilling and sobering.

This isn’t theatre to sit back and watch. It’s theatre that demands you sit forward – to listen, to see, and to feel. And it leaves you wondering what part you might play in breaking the cycle.

If you have the chance to see CODE, I urge you to go. The show is coming to Oxford’s Broad Street on 18th and 19th July, and to Banbury on 13th and 14th September. Full details are available at code-jim.co.uk.

Support Justice in Motion. Support Didcot TRAIN. Because performances like this don’t just entertain – they challenge, they educate, and they change the conversation.

And on a Sunday afternoon in Didcot, that’s exactly what we needed.

#JusticeInMotion #CODE #DidcotTRAIN #DidcotPowerhouse #CountyLines #PhysicalTheatre #YouthEmpowerment #CODETour2025