Tom Padley plays author Owen Jones in The Riots. Photo: Tristram Kenton.

Huge demand to see a critically-acclaimed play on the Tottenham riots has prompted the theatre to hold two extra matinee performances, with bargain tickets for those on benefits.

The Tricycle Theatre’s production of The Riots will run at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, a stone’s throw from the heart of the unrest, from tomorrow (Wednesday) until January 14 after a sell-out run at the original Kilburn venue.

Due to high demand the theatre will put on matinee performances at 2pm on Thursday and Friday this week, in addition to the evening shows.

Discount tickets at £5 will be available for Haringey residents who are unemployed or on benefits, on a first-come, first-served basis on the day.

The play builds a real-time picture of the riots as they unfolded - from tweets by taxi drivers to moment-by-moment accounts by riot police - and then analyses what happened and why.

It was written by author Gillian Slovo, who spent weeks collecting more than 56 hours of material including testimonies from lawyers, police officers, firefighters, probation officers, victims and imprisoned rioters.

John Baraldi, chief executive of Bernie Grant Arts Centre, said: “We are so overwhelmingly pleased that this important theatrical event is coming to Tottenham.

“For us, it is not only an important piece of theatre, but it also contributes to the process of a community trying to make sense of a huge tragedy which deeply wounded and confused it.

*The Riots runs from January 4 to 14 at Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, South Tottenham. Full-price tickets at £9.50, £11.50 and £25 are available from the centre on 020 8365 5450, in person at the box office from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, or online at www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk.