12 Angry men


Review of 12 Angry Men at the Assembly Rooms. First show, day one and it's a corker!

A straight performance of Reginald Rose's 12 Angry Men featuring a cast mainly composed of comedians. The play is a single scene that shows the deliberations of a 12 man jury in a murder trial. At first all but one juror are convinced it's an open and shut case, but as the lone juror explains his doubts more and more of his companions realise the problems with taking evidence and "facts" at face value.

The production originated with theatrical producer Guy Masterson and comedian Owen O'Neill. After O'Neill's show It Was Henry Fonda's Fault in 2000 Masterson thought it would be a great idea to put on a production of 12 Angry Men with O'Neill in the Henry Fonda role. He says that when he contacted O'Neill to present the idea he called him in the middle of watching the very film! There is some debate as to who's idea it was to cast the other roles with comedians but two years later they have put together an amazing cast featuring Steve Frost, Phil Nicol,


Bill Baley and Jeff Green. Other roles were filled out with regular actors.

All twelve performers distinguish themselves well, and each has at least one moment. Particular highlights are


Owen O'Neill as the questioning juror, the catalyst,


Steve Frost as the angry belligerent juror who's ready to throw the switch on the electric chair himself, David Calvitto as the wisecracking salesman who's shallow attitude to the trial undoes him in the end,


Phil Nicol plays the angriest man of all - perfect casting!

The play deals with the problems that occur in any arena where witness testimony must be relied on and where a select group of people are relied on asses evidence to make serious, even life or death, decisions. Taking the apparent facts without checking the detail can lead you astray when people's own desires, fears and prejudices will always colour what they say, how they say it.

Posted: Sun - August 17, 2003 at 11:03 AM        

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