Witness for the Prosecution – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Director Mike Shaw has delighted us with his production of ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ a play that has been adapted from Agatha Christie’s 1925 short story “Traitor’s Hands”. Shaw is no stranger to directing some of Agatha Christie’s having directed at least three others previously as well as other whodunnit and murder mysteries.

I have not seen any of Agatha Christie’s greats, so I was entering the theatre as a novice and had no expectations of the play itself.

The creative team have done a magnificent job on the staging as the set is that of an authentic court room creating the atmosphere of being in the chambers itself. It’s the atmosphere that they have created that makes this a very unique experience; the echoes of footsteps outside the chamber and the grandeur of the Old Bailey itself gives you the sense of being a member of the jury and inclusive in the play.

The play is very immersive and as an audience (jury) member you truly feel the weight of the evidence and the responsibility to work out who is guilty and who is not, as this was the era where capital punishment was that you were hung if found guilty of murder.

The story is centred around Leonard Vole (Tom Broughton) who is accused of murdering an elderly lady whom he had recently befriended. The lady in question is extremely wealthy and had changed her will only days/weeks before her murder in Vole’s favour, so on her death he was to inherit a life changing sum of money.

As the accused Vole seeks Mr Mayhew (Jonathan Barker) assistance in the matter who consults and instructs Sir Wilfred Robarts Q.C. (Jonathan Black) to represent him following his inevitable arrest. The evidence seemingly seems stacked against him, and you are questioned if this is circumstantial evidence or the workings of a cold-blooded killer! Vole seems a charming young man who is naive and a little too honest for his own good, but it is down to the jury to decide if he is the murderer or if he is an innocent man and should walk free.

It is Vole’s wife, Romaine (Antonia Whitehead), who is the pivotal witness, through the twists and turns of the plot you are captivated by Whitehead’s portrayal of Leonard’s foreign actress wife. Whitehead is no stranger to the Garrick and with an accolade of shows behind her, this accomplished actress delivered at top class performance throughout.

You witness Sir Wilfred Robarts Q.C. (Jonathan Black) and Mr Meyers Q.C. (Stewart Mathers) spar across the floor as the Senior Defence Counsel and the Crown Prosecutor with fierce competition. I must applaud Black for his outstanding delivery of Robarts Q.C. I truly believed his character and hung on to his every word.

Outstanding casting with a fabulous injection of humour from Leif Black, Lindsay Barker, and Adele Higson – all three provided a superb delivery of their characters.

The whole production had me captivated from the start and I was flabbergasted at the conclusion, I did not expect the finale which made it even more enthralling. This is an absolute must see play and I am so glad I did not research the play prior as it made the ending even better than I ever anticipated.

Witness for the Prosecution is a story of justice, passion, and betrayal, made all the more vivid for playing out in the atmospheric setting of a real courtroom, an utterly enjoyable and entertaining evening.

Well done to all involved in this 5-star production of Witness for the Prosecution, I haven’t enjoyed a play as much as I did tonight for many years.

Playing until 27th May, https://www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk/

Reviewer: Katie Leicester

Reviewer: 22nd May 2023

North West End UK Star Rating: