To have a tagline from Emma Thompson, undoubtedly a belle of British cinema, is to wield a hefty endorsement. Thompson, the creator of the Journey Against Sex Trafficking campaign, here executive-produces Fair Trade, a true tale of sex trafficking told through the eyes of two survivors of the horrific ordeal. She says that she is hugely proud to be supporting such a project, and you can see why. The production marries two exciting, vibrant leads with exceptional set design, all the while dealing with a social taboo in an unflinching yet tasteful manner.Sarah Amankwah and Anna Holbek are enchanting as Elena and Samai, portraying their characters are two paragons of virtue drawn into a seedy world of corruption and vice through reasons of circumstance and necessity. Elena, caught in the inescapable monotony of a small Eastern European village, is blinded by the lifestyle of silk and splendour when her glamourous childhood friend Sophia returns from the exciting faraway land of London, while Samai is offered salvation in the form of a plane ticket away from war torn Africa. While the play is at its strongest and most emotive when the characters talk of their homes and families, all misty-eyed and reminiscent glances, the visceral crescendo of the second half, with its unrelenting scenes of cruelty and brutality, is still thoroughly engaging. Outside of the two main characters, the rest of the cast has little to do; bar an entertaining turn by Simon Yadoo as a roguish sex trafficker, hamming it up by channelling an almost Dickensian villainy, the supporting players are little more than part of the furniture. The entire play is accompanied by a small group of musicians just offstage. During the first few scenes I wondered whether or not the constant musical presence has the potential to be somewhat overbearing and detract from the action on the stage, but I was proved entirely wrong. The 3 or 4 musicians manage to gain a remarkable amount of depth from so few instruments, and the melancholic tunes are only ever complimentary to the script. The stage and props are used remarkably well, with only cardboard boxes used to create locations from a tribal African village to a British detention centre. However, whoever decided to schedule something that sounded like a Metallica concert next door at the same time seems to me to be very naïve; key moments of tender emotion were almost ruined by occasional explosions of noise from a room nearby. Soundproofing, please! One of the characters, when asked why they have committed such deplorable acts, replies by protesting its not personal, its business - I would wholly recommend you see Fair Trade for exactly the opposite reason, because of the personal, intimate way in which the subject matter is dealt with, while at the same time pulling no punches concerning the stark depravity of those who have been used and abused. I wish the production great success for the future, though with the justified blessings of a certain Oscar winning actress, Im sure success is guaranteed.