Stagestruck by Phyl Romeril for Guardian & Gazette Series, November 30, 2000
Wadham Players Theatre Group - Witness For The Prosecution

Although Witness For The Prosecution has the usual twist at the end, it is not one of Agatha Christie's usual whodunits, being set almost entirely in the courtroom. It is wordy, but if well done, quite absorbing.

The Players had adapted a community centre into an effective courtroom and defending QC's chambers while using the audience as the jury.

Director Michael Michael had gathered together some of his best actors to present the evidence for and against the defendant who is charged with murder.

Having seen the play many times, knowing the final twist does take away a little of the impact. But for the uninitiated this was a well constructed, sensibly defined production. Chris Millington gave a perceptive performance as the kindly but decisive Sir Wilfred Roberts QC.

His counterpart (Mr Myers QC) was able to establish the on-going developments as tension mounted. Bob Gray's Justice Wainwright ruled the court with genial rigidity. The various witnesses were all well defined. Ann Housden's housekeeper in particular introduced a short but animated few moments into the drama.

What of the defendant? I wasn't entirely convinced that Mark Simons was as innocent as we were led to believe but Suzanne MacPherson was convinving in her dual personality.

I warmed to the opening scene in the QC's Chambers. Keith Cummings and Elaine Elliott led up admirably to the grand-trial scenes which were to follow. A little more eye contact between the QC's and the witnesses would maybe have given an already first-class production a wee bit more strength but it still had the capacity to hold and compel the attention to the final denouement.