The Trials of a Gentleman – Brockley Jack Theatre

David Martin is in a police interrogation room, preparing his defence statement for a serious crime. He is not a habitual criminal. He is a man out of his time. Born in the 1960s, he harks back to what he sees as a more glamorous civilised world of the 1940s, informed mainly by the great Hollywood actors of that age: Niven, Grant etc. In fact he was brought up in a modest working-class household, his childhood shattered by domestic violence.

In this 75 minute monologue Kit Smith as David Martin explains how he came to be in this police cell, and the values and beliefs which have guided his life. He believes in civility, courtesy and politeness. He abhors much of modern society, with its rudeness, debasement of language and reliance on technology. In his life as a primary school teacher, he values the direct contact between teacher and child and regrets the passing of the time when male teachers could show affection to their charges without being suspected of ulterior motives.

Smith’s portrayal is mesmerising. He comes across as thoughtful, well-meaning and motivated by wanting the best for the children he teaches. His anguish in recounting his childhood and the events that have brought him to his present situation was believable, although it could be possible that he was misleading himself.  After all, we only have his account of what has happened.

The setting was simple, a table with three chairs around it: one leather chair facing the audience directly and two more modest chairs at the side.  These were used extremely effectively by the actor and the director Jon Lawrence to represent the four key people in Martin’s story. He was dressed in his preferred style: formal jacket, waistcoat, tie and a flower in his buttonhole.

Smith’s performance was a tour de force, never flagging, and switching in moods intelligently reflecting the key periods of his life. I felt there was a little too much movement around the set, and the lighting was not always helpful as he walked in and out of pools of light. But otherwise, this is an excellent and moving piece of drama.

Reviewer: Paul Ackroyd

Reviewed: 27th March 2026

North West End UK Rating: