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"Twelve Angry Men" has been a standard feature on the GCSE
English syllabus, and from tonight's performance it's not difficult to
see why. This is a play that attempts to explore issues of justice, prejudice,
racism and group dynamics in a highly accessible way, with some light
touches of humour to provide relief from the heated and often vicious
argument that unravels between the central characters. Twelve jurors must
reach a verdict in what would be an open-and-shut murder case, if it weren't
for the presence of one dissident (the anonymous "Juror number 8",
played with a measured calm by Matthew Shapiro), who tries to persuade
the others of the possibility that the accused might just be innocent.
The play is perfectly suited to the restricted space of the Burton Taylor
theatre, which has been very well used in this production to reflect the
stifling closeness and tense atmosphere of the Jury Room. At the same
time, the confined physical space serves to create a kind of continuity
between Jurors and audience, so that the audience is ideally placed not
only to judge the accused along with them, but to judge the attitudes
and reasoning of the jurors themselves. If this is what the production
is aiming for, then it does succeed to some extent, and it should be commended
for the fine ensemble performance of the cast, despite some stumbling
over the lines. Each actor has his own unique character to play, and this
variation certainly comes across, with the more disagreeable characters
emerging as the most memorable - both Ben Levine and Oliver Morrison play
obnoxious wiseguys with aplomb.
Although generally technically sound, the production did suffer from poor
lighting, which seemed to bear little relevance to the action on stage,
but this is a minor quibble. This is a fine production of a piece which
ordinarily makes a good evening's entertainment (particularly if you are
unfamiliar with the superior film starring Henry Fonda), but essentially
the play itself lacks the wherewithal to pack a real punch. It aims to
tackle issues that are undoubtedly still important in modern society,
but it can never really get to grips with these, or provoke the audience
into trying to - perhaps because the ensemble format sacrifices genuine
topical argument for unsatisfying dialogue spread over twelve individual
characters. GCSE English students might be better off staying at home
and watching Eastenders, but for anyone else seeking an evening of quality
light entertainment, you could do much worse than a trip down to the BT.
Alison Gowland, 10.02.04
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