Twelve Angry Men – Richmond Theatre
The evidence has been heard and the decision is now with the jury. Starting with a voiceover of the judge's instructions, Twelve Angry Men sees the men locked in the jury room. Their job is to decide if the 16-year-old accused is guilty of killing his father, and thus will face execution or if there is reasonable doubt. A quick first vote from the unnamed jurors seems clear, guilty and guilty and guilty again until the final vote is counted - a solitary not guilty.
Jason Merrells does a fine job as juror number eight, the single not guilty vote which forces the other 11 men to talk, debate, argue and even come close to blows. Like the jurors, we never learn the name of the defendant or the witnesses. Reginald Rose’s classic script first staged in 1953 but mostly known for t...