Performance Run: Monday 18th - Saturday 23rd May 2015

Performance Reviewed: Tuesday 19th May

As one leaves the auditorium following just over 2 hours of heated, impassioned fictional deliberating and debating in Twelve Angry Men, one could be forgiven for being momentarily non-plussed about the whole thing. It’s almost a rhetorical shell shock - without giving away any major spoilers, we are left with many of the same questions and uncertainties that have prevailed throughout for the dozen jurors we have seen tearing one another, and indeed themselves, apart over the fate of a young man charged with the murder of his father. And yet, as the initial haze wears off, the real impact of the show creeps in, eventually becoming overwhelmingly profound and impacting - Twelve Angry Men is a show in which the almost haunting realities of the law as it once was, and the heady burden of holding someones life in your hand are completely handed over to and absorbed by the audience. 

As mentioned, to give any leaning on how the show concludes would be to do this still-terrific piece of character drama a grave injustice, but needless to say, the ball is placed firmly in the court of those viewing, and it is all the more gripping and resonant as a result. The audience, by way of the accounts, conflicts and perspectives provided, are invited to become judge, jury and executioner of their own, and enter an incredibly involved pre-CSI world where opinion, prejudice and perspective triumph, evidence and testimony is questioned and picked apart by logic and common sense as opposed to DNA or science, and where there is no handholding, Eureka moments or neatly bow-tied ‘answers’ to silence that prevailing ‘what if?..’.

Based on the acclaimed 1957 Henry Fonda movie of the same title, it’s surprising how well Reginald Rose’s original story has aged. Issues of the time that filter through, particularly regarding race (it is all but stated that the accused is a young Black man) and the like may have carried greater impact at the time of the films release, but are still powerful now as a damning reminder of the prejudices of the time; a central characters clear bias, for instance, is all the more shocking and troubling for being so alien and reprehensible to modern audiences. Generally though, this is an astute and terrifically observed character piece, and whilst naturally there are some characters within the 12-strong line-up who take greater prominence than others, it is still an intriguing and compelling line-up of rounded and well realised characters.

At the outset, with the young boy’s guilt seemingly undeniable, Emmerdale’s Jason Merrells is the lone voice of doubt amongst the jury; he is not painted as an altruist or virtuoso, but rather the one person willing to look outside the very narrow box presented at trial, and truly respect the gravity of the decision they all have to make. Merrells is fantastic in the role; particularly in that he plays the decency of his character with a subdued conviction and earnestness that makes his arguments feel genuine and worthy of attention as opposed to do-gooding or crusading. His most constant and vehement opposite is Andrew Lancel’s fiery juror, a fellow father who brings his own personal daemons and emotional baggage to the table, unyielding in his belief of the accused’s guilt for reasons that play out over the course of the show. The duo play off one another again with faultless conviction, with Lancel also getting some particularly strong and touching moments towards the latter half of Act II.

Amongst the rest of the company, highlights include Denis Lill who is a real presence and quite outstanding as the gravelly, overbearing garage owner who gradually reveals a more sinister, bigoted underbelly. Sean Power entertains throughout as the animated Baseball enthusiast, disregarding the importance of the situation in the hopes of making the game he has tickets for, with Power displaying some terrific comic timing and nailing a very clever characterisation which slips between shades throughout the show. Paul Beech brings a charm and gentlemanly softness to his older, more empathetic character, a regular voice of reason and fairness amongst the egos, testosterone and confrontation. In fact, there isn’t a weak link amongst the cast, with far too many to single all out individually; this is an ensemble piece and they shine collectively as a whole, without exception.

It isn’t faultless - some of the momentary arguments and spats between the jurors, for instance, feel born of convenience and necessity rather than naturalism; there are a few more occasions of characters getting up in one another faces and threatening violence, for instance, than are needed and feel natural, particularly when they all seem to be resolved as suddenly and jarringly as they occur. At times it almost feels like the show is playing an argument tombola. But on the whole, the brilliant cast merged with the terrific writing and a wonderful moody set and lighting, all contained within a single room (and annex) and centred around a gradually revolving central table (you won’t notice) and ever twisting account of the crime make what on paper sounds tedious and insufferable a consummately gripping and utterly involving affair. 

It’s difficult to discuss further a show such as this without dovetailing into spoilers, so all that is left to say is that as a character-driven, genuinely intriguing slice of post-courtroom drama, Twelve Angry Men is easily a must-see for audiences who are happy to ponder the ramifications of what they have had the pleasure of watching long after the curtain falls. It may not re-invent the wheel, but it cannily places a table on it, and occupies it with a dozen interesting, complementary and contradictory characters, using them as our conduit to traverse an emotional, engaging and powerful story that raises as many moral and meaningful questions as it answers. With a fantastic cast assembled for this UK Tour bringing to life with conviction a drama that still has the power to grip and intrigue audiences nearly 60 years on, the case for whether or not one should grab a ticket to see Twelve Angry Men is unanimously one that is open and shut.

 

RATING - ★★★★

 

TWELVE ANGRY MEN is running at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Monday 18 to Saturday 23 May 2015.

CLICK HERE for more information on the show's run at the Grand and to book your own tickets!

Alternatively, telephone the theatre's Box Office direct on 01902 429212.

 

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Press tickets for this performance of TWELVE ANGRY MEN were provided courtesy of the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre directly. The author gratefully acknowledges their generous invitation.

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Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here