Next week, Witness for the Prosecution is celebrating its 2000th performance since returning in 2017, giving us proof \u2013 as if we needed any more \u2013 that it\u2019s Agatha Christie\u2019s world and we\u2019re just living in it.<\/p>\n
When the show made its West End debut in 1953, it would have been impossible for anyone to tell how long it would last. Yet, 70 years later, on the stage of the London County Hall, this thrilling tale of love, lies and of course, murder holds up as if no time has passed at all.<\/p>\n
Based on the 1925 short story, Traitor Hands, the play follows Leonard Vole, a young man accused of murdering a widow in cold blood to get a hold of her fortune. Despite protesting his innocence, the evidence of the case seems to be against him, helped along by those determined to see him face the noose.<\/p>\n
As the courtroom drama unfolds and secrets are revealed, the members of the jury (who are in fact paying members of the audience) must decide Leonard\u2019s fate: innocent or guilty?<\/p>\n
From the start of the first act it doesn\u2019t take long for you to realise that the set up and characters are classic Christie. There\u2019s the familiar wide-eyed English gentleman, utterly in love with the justice system (and the sound of his own voice), the old battleaxe of a housekeeper, who\u2019s convinced she knows who the murderer is just because, and the mysterious foreigner, whose motives and behaviours remain cryptic right until the very end.<\/p>\n
Yet while these caricatures and scenarios are hardly alien to us \u2013 we get a new Miss Marple story every Christmas after all \u2013 there\u2019s no hint of repetition or tedium, as each character is elevated by the brilliant cast.<\/p>
Every person in the ensemble has a strong presence on stage, which not only helps you to feel fully immersed in the courtroom setting, but also feeds your feelings of suspicion and confusion throughout. I found myself wondering at some points if Dr Wyatt (Damian Lynch) had something to hide, or maybe even the court stenographer (Melissa Aduke-James, who was making her West End debut).<\/p>\n
Particular credit has to be given to the defence barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts and the prosecution Mr Myers, deftly played by Stephen Hogan and John Mackay. Their playful banter, astute cross-examinations and impassioned speeches carried the court room scenes, and kept us far removed from the same old same old of Law and Order-style television. Plus, the story just wouldn\u2019t have worked without Benjamin Westerby\u2019s fresh faced and endearing performance as Leonard Vole \u2013 more great things to come from him I have no doubt.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just the actors\u2019 talents that bring this tale to life so effectively though. The austere setting of London County Court, once home to the now-extinct Greater London Council, is essential to the feelings of immersion. Because of this, any and all staging is simple but effective. Throughout the show, elements like the figure of Lady Justice and the hangman\u2019s gallows (don\u2019t worry that\u2019s not a spoiler) are enough to make you understand the great danger Leonard Vole is in. Also, real talk, the seats were the comfiest theatre chairs I have ever sat in.<\/p>\n
All in all, Witness for the Prosecution is a spine-tingling and mesmerising watch which messes with your mind perfectly. As the twisted plot unfolds and you grapple with all the potential outcomes, each one seeming either too obvious or too farfetched, the only real conclusion you can come to is that it\u2019s foolish to ever try and outwit Agatha Christie.<\/p>\n
At the end, and in her usual infuriating fashion, the answer was there all along, but of course, I can\u2019t get into that\u2026<\/p>\n
Much like The Mousetrap, and our obsession with its author, I hope this play sticks around for a long time.<\/p>\n
Buy Witness for the Prosecution tickets at London Theatre Direct<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n If you like our comment pieces, we\u2019ve also got a 2:22 A Ghost Story review<\/a> and Stranger Things: The First Shadow review<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Witness for the Prosecution is currently booking tickets until September 2024 with shows on every Tuesday to Sunday (matinee performances on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays).<\/p>\n The show is being held at London\u2019s County Hall on the Southbank. To get there, simply head to Westminster (on the Circle, District and Jubilee line) or Waterloo (Bakerloo, Northern, Waterloo & City and Jubilee line). Or, if you\u2019re coming from outside of London, you can get Southeastern and South Western rail directly to Waterloo and Waterloo East.<\/p>\n Tickets are on sale at London Theatre Direct. Prices start at \u00a319 but go up all the way to \u00a3114 the closer you get to the stage.<\/p>\n Buy Witness for the Prosecution tickets at London Theatre Direct<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n And if you want to see Agatha Christie\u2019s other play, here\u2019s how to get tickets for The Mousetrap.<\/p>\n Buy The Mousetrap tickets at London Theatre Direct<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n For more theatre fun, here\u2019s the best West End shows<\/a> and what is ABBA Voyage<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n 70 years later and we\u2019re still wrapped around Agatha Christie\u2019s little finger. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":44131,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2024\/01\/witness-for-the-prosecution-review-a-timeless-christie-thriller.jpg",600,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2024\/01\/witness-for-the-prosecution-review-a-timeless-christie-thriller-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2024\/01\/witness-for-the-prosecution-review-a-timeless-christie-thriller-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2024\/01\/witness-for-the-prosecution-review-a-timeless-christie-thriller.jpg",600,400,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2024\/01\/witness-for-the-prosecution-review-a-timeless-christie-thriller.jpg",600,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2024\/01\/witness-for-the-prosecution-review-a-timeless-christie-thriller.jpg",600,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2024\/01\/witness-for-the-prosecution-review-a-timeless-christie-thriller.jpg",600,400,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"70 years later and we\u2019re still wrapped around Agatha Christie\u2019s little finger.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/44130"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}When and where can I see Witness for the Prosecution?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Katie](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/01\/Katie-Buchholz-and-Benjamin-Westerby-Romaine-and-Leonard-Vole-in-Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Photography-Credit-Sam-Barker-RESIZED-edbf44f.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Katie")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div> How to get tickets to see Witness for the Prosecution in London<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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