Five years ago when she first sat behind Bermuda's prison walls Lillian Ramphele said when someone was murdered in Bermuda there was an outpouring of shock, indignation and grief.

The community, and those within the cells of the Department of Corrections, would talk for days about the tragedy.

But now, according to Lillian, people have become desensitised to the growing violence and scant attention is spent on the loss of a life, as everyone knows another shooting is around the corner.

And she is determined to do something about it. While inside the Prison Farm she has written a play entitled 'Where are you Da?' The play chronicles the lives of two young men who grow up without a father and how it can lead them down the path of destruction.

It highlights Bermuda's growing gun violence and shines the spotlight on some of the Island's social problems.

Tomorrow doors will open at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts and members of the public will watch Lillian, known as Lili, and five of Bermuda's teenage male convicts put on the first Department of Corrections play performed outside the prison facilities in more than 25 years.

The Royal Gazette visited the Co-Educational Facility for one of their final practices before opening night.

Lilli, from South Africa, was sentenced to 12 years in jail after she was caught trying to smuggle $2 million worth of heroin into Bermuda in 2005.

At the time the 48-year-old mother of two, who was widowed shortly before she was caught at a routine inspection at L.F. Wade International Airport, sobbed and told the court her behaviour was out of character and she had since found religion.

The first few years were hard for Lili and this week she has taken comfort in watching her home country host the World Cup.

She told this newspaper she hoped her play would leave a positive impact on Bermuda. "I remember five years ago someone was killed soon after I came into prison. The reaction by the community, it was humbling," she said. "I thought, this is how my grandmother would have reacted. When I was growing up in South Africa there were more murders and we did not react how my grandmother reacted.

"In the last five years we have seen so many murders and the reaction has changed. Death is not something people get used to but when it keeps happening people become numb to it and the reaction is different.

"To see so much death on a small island is hard. I am here to do something, to share my thoughts about how I was feeling watching this happen."

After spending years in jail she has talked with many young men who have come through Co-ed. Most of them lacked father figures, she said. And she could see the pain it caused them.

"I thought what better way than to let them speak out about it, as they know it."

After writing the play she approached Jaymi Edwards, a young man serving time at the Co-ed for robbery, and asked if he was interested in participating. He then rounded up some of his friends to take part. Lili is also in the play.

Community activist, and former United Bermuda Party Senator, Gina Spence Farmer, was also called on to help. She has known Lili for the last four years. The first performance was done within the prison but then Mrs. Spence Farmer approached Commission of Corrections Edward Lamb and asked if the play could be presented to the public, he agreed it was a good idea.

From there Mrs. Spence Farmer gathered actors from Gina Spence Productions to round out the cast. They have been practising for weeks in anticipation of bringing the play to the people of Bermuda.

Commissioner Lamb agreed to the public play because he thinks it is important people realise that everyone is part of the same small community.

He is committed to helping people turn their lives around while in prison and he calls those in the Co-ed trainees rather than inmates.

Speaking of the play, he said, "After witnessing the powerful messages contained in this play when it was put on at the Co-ed, we decided that the public HAD to see this play. We wanted the public to see the rich talent these young men have; the efforts they are making to change their lives; the message that this play has for the whole community and how we in Corrections are striving to make a positive difference in the lives of these young men.

"I am determined to stop the 'graduation process' of trainees 'graduating' to Westgate and I am convinced that we can achieve this."

Mrs. Spence Farmer said ticket sales are going well. "This play is really powerful," she said. "It talks about a lot of the issues going on. They have been working really hard. On Thursday night they were amazed at how much space there was at Ruth Seaton, compared to the room at Co-ed."

Families of all ten men murdered since May 2009 have been invited to the event, and most have said they will attend.

One person not surprised that Lili is looking to make an impact is her former defence attorney Elizabeth Christopher. At the time of the trial she asked the court to have mercy on her client and plans to attend the play.

"It's not like she was a big criminal," Ms. Christopher said yesterday. "She fell on hard times and made one mistake. All this time later and she is still paying for that mistake.

"I am not surprised she is doing this, she is someone who is trying hard to leave a positive impact on Bermuda.

"We should really be asking ourselves why we are paying to incarcerate, feed and house someone like this and leave her two children in South Africa without a mother. Maybe the powers that be will take a look at that."