Peter Kosminsky to Direct 3 Part Grenfell Factual Drama for BBC

The BBC has ordered a new factual drama from Peter Kosminsky called Grenfell, which is based on the 2017 fire at Grenfell Tower in West London that killed 72 people and left many more displaced and grieving.

Over the course of five years, writer-director Peter Kosminsky and associate producer Ahmed Peerbux combed through public records, sat in on inquiry hearings, and interviewed dozens of people to piece together what led up to and followed the 14 June 2017 fire that devastated the city.

The three-part series will shed light on the human tales of people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire by hearing from those who survived, those who lost loved ones, the firemen who responded that night, and the wider community.

Shock from the Grenfell Tower fire was felt all around the country. With this drama, we hope to discover not only how such a terrible catastrophe could have happened, but also how we might prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

Writer and director Peter Kosminsky says: “Occasionally, events occur in our national story which touch us all. The fire at Grenfell Tower is such an event. We remember what we were doing when we heard about it, remember the pictures, the saturation coverage. And yet, despite this, despite the many newspaper pages and TV hours devoted to the story, we may be left with a less than clear sense of exactly what happened, what went wrong. In our drama, we attempt to pick our way through hours of public testimony, as well as original interviews conducted by our team, to reach the heart of this catastrophe: how such a thing can have happened; how we can avoid it ever happening again.”

Associate producer Ahmed Peerbux says: “We have been working on this drama for more than five years now, and it is only right that such a terrible event, seared into the national psyche, should be approached with rigour and not rushed. We are immensely grateful to the men and women who have shared their stories with us, and let us into their lives – we couldn’t possibly hope to honour their experiences without the time and trust they have given us.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama says: “Grenfell was a tragedy that touched the entire nation, and is one of the most significant and devastating events in our recent history. In the trusted hands of Peter, Ahmed, and their dedicated team, Grenfell will utilise drama’s unique ability to sensitively and respectfully show the human side of what happened, and to offer a response to some of the many unanswered questions that remain.”

Grenfell, written and directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Peter Kosminsky, will be produced by The Forge for BBC One and iPlayer. Peter Kosminsky, Mark Pybus, and Lucy Richer of The Forge and the BBC will serve as executive producers, with Ahmed Peerbux serving as associate producer.

More details regarding the drama will be revealed at a later date.