Witness for the Prosecution in 250 words
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| By
Harriet Wilson
Set in the atmospheric venue of the London County Hall, Witness for the Prosecution is a compelling revival of Agatha Christie's courtroom drama. The story was adapted for the stage by Christie herself and when it opened in London for the first time in 1953, Christie called it “one of my plays that I like best”.
So my expectations were high when I went to see this new production, directed by Lucy Bailey. To a large extent, I was not disappointed. This production is staged within a courtroom, which adds hugely to the atmosphere of the play – it really couldn't be more authentic. The characters are all well-acted (Catherine Steadman's performance as Romaine is especially impressive), and one plot twist, in particular, took me completely by surprise, leaving lots of room for debate on the journey home.
At times during the first act, I wondered how everything was going to come together by the end of the play, but I was glad to find that it did, and with some great twists. That said, there were a few issues that I felt could have been addressed in more depth.
If you are looking to see a big, high-impact West End show, then Witness for the Prosecution may leave you feeling underwhelmed. But I enjoyed the fact that the play wasn't too overstated. Although this isn't a show that you watch on the edge of your seat, tension is still built.
Witness for the Prosecution is booking until March 2018.