Theatre Review: Murder Trial Tonight II - Aldwych Theatre
By @edent
· review theatre · 11 comments · 450 words · read ~1,452 times.
Overwrought melodrama in London's most uncomfortable theatre.
This show has been done countless times before. You, the audience, watch extracts from a murder trial. At the end, you vote on whether she done it or not. It feels more suited to a Channel 5 show which asks punters to text their verdict in to a premium rate number. Overall, it is a tawdry - but thoroughly uninteresting - tale.
The main problem (aside from the naff script) is a complete lack of respect for the audience. In an attempt to make the facts more ambiguous, large swathes of evidence are simply omitted. The whole case rests on forensics - yet these are never really addressed. Instead we get a parade of irrelevance - the jealous ex, the bitter daughter, the creepy friend. It's all noise and very little signal. I don't know if it is bad writing or whether murder trials usually this bone headed. Every flubbed line, every piece of histrionics, every withering remark from the judge are just a distraction from the fact that there's no substance to the play.
This isn't a case where we're being asked to confront complex and contradictory testimony. It doesn't rest on a subtle or interesting point of law. There's no moral jeopardy about whether the murder was justified or provoked. Instead, as my wife remarked, despite being repeatedly told not to let our prejudices affect us - that's all we're left with.
The show isn't helped by some terrible sound design. There's a full minute of blaring "dramatic" music at the start of each act (which seemed to glitch and be restarted in the show we saw). Lots of flashing and swirling lights don't disguise the fact that it's a static stage with people extemporising at each other.
Despite all the signs telling us not to use our phones, the second act ends with a big QR code and chance to vote as the jury. I've knocked the rating up a star because it was interesting listening to the people around us discuss what they thought was relevant, and the obvious shortcomings in both the defence's and prosecution's case. But the rating promptly loses another star because the Aldwych Theatre's seats were designed by a sadist who thought budget airline seats were too comfortable.
Post verdict, we're shown a pre-recorded video showing what really happened - plus some coda text describing the fate of the protagonist. I'd be curious to know if they show a different ending depending on what the jury decided. But not interested enough to sit through it again.
During the curtain call, the lighting engineer left the cast in the dark.
| Verdict |
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Irene Bick says:
So you didn't like it???
@edent says:
If it comes down your way - avoid 😃
From the exe says:
It was really good-i haven’t got a clue what you are criticising?? What an insult-the people at the showing I went to enjoyed it. The review is complete poppycock
@edent says:
Thank you for your comment. The wonderful thing about art is that we can all have a different reaction to the same piece. I'm sure there are plenty of things I've enjoyed which you probably think are rubbish.
However, most of what I am criticising is objective fact. In the performance we saw, one actor continually stumbled over his lines. There were several technical glitches with the light and sound. I think it is also fair to criticise the lack of forensic testimony - especially on a case which rests solely on blood-splatter.
But, no matter. I'm glad you had a lovely time. Perhaps you would care to write a detailed blog post about what you thought was enjoyable about it?
Theatre Goer says:
I was there and these are completely snobbish lies. NO actor fluffed their lines (ever considered that this might have been deliberate so it looked real & extempore?) there was a gap in the music because....there was a gap in the score. No glitches and no restarts. The Aldwych is one of the most comfortable theatres in the West End so I presume you went for the cheap seats. During the curtain call the lighting DESIGNER did NOT leave the cast in the dark. I have no idea why you would publish such obvious lies.
This show fills massive 1,000 + seat venues across the UK & Ireland. Let working class people have an enjoyable night out!
@edent says:
Thank you for your polite and well-reasoned comment.
I find it interesting that you simultaneously accuse me of having disdain for the working class and imply I deserve discomfort because I sat in cheap seats. What a delightful contradiction!
But, yes, you can read the reviews of the cheap seats at https://seatplan.com/london/aldwych-theatre/seating-plan/#s2119 - you'll see I'm not the only one who finds them uncomfortable.
I'm delighted that you enjoyed the show - but I think we can both agree that art is subjective.
Malcolm says:
I am only sorry that I read this review today. We attended the show last night in Glasgow. It was terrible.
Mike Burns says:
What a complete load of rubbish this review is. I was at Aldwych and everything above is complete nonsense. Clearly this Terrence Eden rates himself as a critic. He probably won’t publish this feedback on his review. This is theatre! By sounds of it he thinks he was walking into an actual murder trial. This man had too much time on his hands. There was certainly no fluffing of actors lines and the lighting did not go down in curtain call. Clearly some jobs worth who thinks he is some Hollywood reporter. Move on from this review- it’s all complete lies.
@edent says:
Thank you for your entertainingly spelled and punctuated comment. I'm not sure why a "Hollywood reporter" would be reviewing a UK theatre tour…
I wonder why you're searching for reviews two months after the show?
Paul Dikes says:
I think you need to get a life.
@edent says:
Mate, I can see from your IP address that you're same person as "Mike Burns". Quite why you feel the need to pretend to be someone else is quite beyond me.
Still, every time you leave a comment, Google ranks this blog higher in the results. So thanks for that - much appreciated!
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