I wrote my play 4,000 miles away – now it’s being performed in Alabama!

The Megan Montgomery Foundation has offered a $40,000 grant to the University of Alabama’s Department of Theatre to produce Red Flags, a play written by Soundproof Box theatre company founder Lisa Key Bell.

Lisa wrote Red Flags after surviving two consecutive abusive relationships. Her experiences resulted in her having a breakdown and losing her home, her thriving international HR career, and custody of her daughter. After recovering, she launched her own theatre company, Soundproof Box, to raise awareness and understanding of unhealthy relationships, and help victims and bystanders feel more empowered to help. Co-founder and board president Susann Montgomery-Clark became aware of her work after seeing her profile on professional networking platform LinkedIn. After a brief interaction, Lisa invited the team to watch Red Flags via Zoom.

Lisa says: “1 in 5 children in the UK have lived with an adult who is behaving abusively in the home. Megan was passionate about the need to educate young people on spotting the signs and so are we. Our shows aim to stop generational cycles of abuse and unhealthy behaviours, educating people on how to make positive relationship choices. We also balance tough topics with the language and humour Gen Z viewers need for it to resonate.”