How to heal the damage of violence? Two contrasting approaches – both stylised – are currently in cinemas. The first, London Road, is a film of the award-winning National Theatre production, a sung drama (not a musical as such) with lyrics taken verbatim from interviews with residents of one road in Ipswich. Over a number of years, this unassuming suburban street became an area frequented by prostitutes and their clients until a series of murders in 2006. During the investigation and trial, the residents had to negotiate at first suspicion and fear and then media attention. What they felt and observed was recorded by Alecky Blythe and relayed by actors to music by Adam Cork. The ensemble stage production was directed by Rufus Norris, as is the film. The combination of fact, dr