Born in Clapham, the youngest of 6 siblings, Claud grew up in the shadow of domestic violence, with a London-born mum and an abusive and controlling Jamaican dad. He spent his childhood treading on eggshells, keen not to provoke the anger which his dad would regularly take out on Claud, his mum, his siblings, and their dog. ‘Terrible pain and darkness filled our lives on a daily basis’, Claud writes, with fear and anxiety being constant companions for him as a young boy. Claud has now passed his Bishops’ Advisory Panel (BAP) and is in the process of training for two years to become a Church of England priest. Once ordained, he would love to plant a church and to work with young people to decrease gang culture and knife crime. As he approaches 40, he is deeply grateful for ‘God’s truly amazing grace [which] took a once successful London drug-dealing street trader all the way from deliveries to deliverance, from guns to God’. Indigenous art: In 'Rutherford Falls,' Native artists portray Indigenous life through Native eyes Creating opportunities for Native artists

The story of one man's search for belonging, this an incredible and moving testament to the life-changing power of God. It was hypocritical of me, but I never used drugs myself because I’d seen the damage they’d done to people who took them. THE ENCOUNTER The San Francisco Playhouse is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and was established in 2003. It is the Bay Area’s premiere mid-sized theater company, staging six plays and musicals a year at its 199-seat mainstage venue on Post Street, as well as three world premieres per year at intimate stages in downtown San Francisco. Though exceptional in parts, Claud's journey is remarkably relatable: it is one of being shaped by circumstance and formed through faith, of losing yourself only to be found. Above all, his story is a testament to the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.

Hopefully the play does well in San Francisco and someone will take a chance and bring the play to Arizona," said Claude. "I'm hoping I can bring it to Arizona. It's a great story and I want to show it off to not only my community, but to the other O'odham communities, and to other tribes."

By the time I was in my early teens, I’d lost interest in any kind of academic pursuit and began selling cigarettes in school. I was selling cannabis from the age of 15. In my late teens I was selling cocaine and by the time I was 25, I sold heroin. You never think when you’re a teenager down the park, sitting on a swing and having a spliff, that dealing drugs is going to turn into this huge business where you’re making thousands of pounds. I would shop in Harrods and I had so many vehicles – Mercedes, Range Rovers, BMWs. The play had originally come from a shorter piece he wrote in 2019, which won the Von Marie Atchley Excellence in Playwriting Award for Native Voices at the Autry. Claud’s passion for football and his natural talent led to him being invited for a trial at Wimbledon football club at the age of 13. But when his brother laughed at him for thinking he could make a success of football, his confidence was shattered and he didn’t attend the trial after all. Instead he started smoking, drinking and doing drugs with his brother and his friends, and selling cigarettes to his school friends. Search for belongingWhen my eldest brother left home, he became a drug dealer. Whenever he came home, he would have stories of treasures and adventures. He always had the newest Nike Airs, and I wanted to grow up and be like him. I was six years old when he camehome with a gun. He let me hold it – I remember this vividly. After week one I thought: They seem alright, they’re not trying to brainwash me yet. So the second week I turned up and put my hand out to the lady to shake it, and she gave me a hug. I was mind-blown. I remember thinking: I’ve never been hugged. After 20 years of dealing, I decided I needed a cover. So I started volunteering, mentoring young offenders. If anyone stopped me and asked what I did, I’d produce my council ID and say I was a mentor.