sentences. He had been diagnosed by five psychiatrists as having paranoid schizophrenia. In 2007, the High Court ruled that he must serve at least 50 years. Cash received financial compensation, and used it to fund an MA in Dramatic Writing at the University of Sussex, saying he "wanted to do something positive with the money". Cash perceived Copeland as wanting to be the first domino, setting off a race war. Plot The opening scene shows a young man kneeling on a Union Jack, manufacturing a bomb, which is left menacingly on the stage. We meet him some time later, in a top-security prison, convicted for terrorism. He is interviewed by a psychiatrist who is engaged in research on sociopaths for an academic paper. The bomber's belief system, incorporating violent racism and homophobia, is revealed causing the audience to question their own beliefs. A series of psychological games starts between the prisoner and the psychiatrist, which challenges the audience's conceptions. Secrets are gradually revealed, reality is distorted, and the play ends with a surprising twist. It is a play about hatred, which illustrates how violence breeds more violence. The complex relationship between bomber and psychiatrist fails to result in a solution. Reception A preview in The Guardian in said it had "surprising twists [...] as the plot thickens", and one reviewer said it was "one of the most honest and hard hitting plays I have seen". The play received that year's Best Theatrical Performance Award. A representative of the Gay Police Association hoped the play would raise awareness; the GPA helped to raise money for producing it, and recollections from the police influenced the story. Development It was several years after the bombing before Cash was able to write about the events with objectivity. He wrote The First Domino as part of his M.A. Dramatic Writing course at the University of Sussex, where he met Faynia Williams, who encouraged the development and directed the production. The play was produced by the Brighton Theatre and directed by Williams. It was a two-hander about a fictional terrorist being interviewed by a psychiatrist in a top-security prison. Danny Seldon (who used to be a marine) played the part of the terrorist, the doctor was played by Cary Crankson, and music was by Rory Cameron. with "surprising twists". Cash and Williams's production company, Brighton Theatre, presented the play at Brighton Festival Fringe on , close