Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: London County Hall
Accused of murdering a widow to inherit her wealth, will Leonard survive the sensational witness testimony? Will he be able to convince the jury, and you, of his innocence and escape the hangman’s noose?
The audience are thrillingly placed in the thick of the action, as Agatha Christie’s story of justice, passion and betrayal unfolds around them. The twists and turns of the case are played out in a spectacular courtroom setting, as prosecution battles defence, and witnesses take to the stand to give their shocking testimonies.
Murder, betrayal, mystery and a courtroom full of people you are not sure you can believe or trust….Witness for the Prosecution really is a phenomenally unique and fascinating play.
Witness for the Prosecution is an Agatha Christie murder mystery courtroom play, adapted from her 1925 short story ‘Traitor’s Hands’. Witness for the Prosecution centres around the trial of Leonard Vole, who is accused of murdering a wealthy widow, Emily French, who has left him a substantial amount of money. He is taken to court and pleads to the jury of his innocence. With this being an Agatha Christie story, it is not clear who or what you should believe. There are twists and turns throughout and you are constantly kept guessing and on the edge of your seat.
What makes this production particularly special is where it is set. Witness for the Prosecution takes place inside the old Council Chamber at London County Hall on the South Bank, which makes for the perfect setting. The audience feel like they are sitting in a legitimate courtroom rather than watching a set designed to look like one. It is a great use of the space. And if you are lucky enough to sit in the jury box, you are involved in the action, with the cast subtly interacting with you, and the opportunity to gain a different perspective…the ‘jurors’ really do feel like you are part of the trial.
Witness for the Prosecution recently welcomed a new cast, and this was one of the best casts put together on the West End. Starting with Leonard Vole, played by Matthew McGivern. He had a brilliant accent and some really good nuances, and captured that cheeky chappy, chatty side of Leonard really well. At times it felt like you could tell the effort he was putting into this and some moments could have felt a little more natural as a result, but there were also moments where you really saw the different sides of Leonard come through, and those were particularly good. Overall he did a very good job with this more difficult character to play because the audience are constantly scrutinising him and questioning whether to believe him.
Then there is Crispin Redman as Mr Mayhew, the defence solicitor of Leonard. He had some great mannerisms and worked particularly well alongside Jo Stone-Fewings as Sir Wilfrid Robarts. And Jo Stone-Fewings was absolutely astonishing. He is possibly one of the best actors to have blessed the London stage. Everything about him seemed so natural. His voice, his presence, the way he commanded the courtroom…you completely believed him and he had the whole courtroom following his every word. He came across as very approachable, with a welcoming stage presence, and somehow you just really wanted him to succeed. There was something incredibly likeable about his Sir Wilfrid, while still feeling very believable as a high court barrister. He and Crispin Redman worked brilliantly together, and I genuinely think I would go and watch those two do a two-man show. After watching Jo here, you just think he could probably do anything, and it would be intriguing to see how he plays other roles.
Sophie Craig played Romaine Vole, Leonard’s wife, and she was another really strong addition. Her German accent was good and wasn't overplayed. She had a cool and controlled demeanour and was particularly good when addressing the jury from the witness stand. She managed to make you really dislike Romaine at times, making her role very believable and compelling.
David Shaw-Parker played Mr Justice Wainwright. The judge doesn’t have the biggest part, but he played it very well and had one of the funniest moments when he snapped at Romaine, which got a good laugh from the audience, amidst the tension.
Sahar Awad played Janet McKenzie, who was another enjoyable character. She played the victim’s maid and brought a very different energy to the courtroom, and was funny and likeable. Her accent wasn’t always clear on what it was, as it did feel a little off at times, but she was still very entertaining.
Jude Owusu played Mr Myers QC, the prosecution barrister. This was not a standout performance, partly due to the sheer talent on the stage, but he was still very good. There was a moment when his emotions and anger heightened and this was when he really came alive, and was a particularly strong moment.
This was undoubtedly an extremely talented cast. Not one member felt out of place, and the chemistry between the main actors was captivating. However, there was an unexpected humorous moment when the cast were coming back in after the interval. Most of them were saying “afternoon” to us as the jury, with one of them greeting us with “good morning”. The cast should maybe agree before on what time of day it is, but it did make us laugh.
Being sat in the jury was a brilliant experience. Having done jury service twice, I was able to compare what was happening with my own experiences, and it reflected how I felt at the time of jury service surprisingly well, and a lot of this is due to accuracy of the cast and the dramatic setting of the play. This is what makes Witness for the Prosecution work so well. Audiences aren’t just watching a courtroom mystery…they are sitting inside the courtroom and are surrounded by the action. The actors are speaking directly towards the audience who are literally watching the evidence unfold. The twists and turns feel so effective because you are trying to work out the mystery for yourself. This feeling of not knowing what is coming next is a testament to both Christie’s writing and the way this production has been staged.
The setting is magnificent. London County Hall is a beautiful, historic building and the production makes fantastic use of it. Witness for the Prosecution has been running there since 2017 and still manages to make the production feel fresh. Even having seen this production before, I still found myself pulled back into the mystery all over again.
There really isn't much to fault this play on. Witness for the Prosecution is a very unique play, in a very unique and wonderful setting, and this new cast bring it to the next level, with a standout performance by Jo Stone-Fewings. If Jo Stone-Fewings decided to do a one-man show, I’d probably go and see it. If you haven't been, Witness for the Prosecution is definitely a show not to be missed, particularly with this new exciting cast.
You are summoned to the court. Book your tickets to Witness for the Prosecution here.
Review by Alex
No comments