Witness for the Prosecution Reviews: What the Critics Say

Lucy Bailey's production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution opened at London County Hall on 23 October 2017 and is still playing there. Most of the critics at the opening gave it three or four stars, and audiences have rated it more highly than they did.

The critics were reviewing the opening cast, led by Jack McMullen as Leonard Vole and Catherine Steadman as Romaine. The cast has changed many times since.

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The Critics' Verdict

At the October 2017 opening the Guardian, the Telegraph, The Times, Time Out and The Arts Desk gave it four stars. The Evening Standard, the Financial Times and the Radio Times gave three, and the theatre titles WhatsOnStage and The Stage gave two.

The production was nominated for Best Revival at the 2018 Olivier Awards.

What the Reviews Praised

The setting. Nearly every review had something to say about the chamber. Michael Billington in the Guardian wrote that the production "fits perfectly in this debating chamber", and that "the fact that we are in a debating chamber serves to heighten the play's theatricality." Henry Hitchings in the Evening Standard felt "a sense of occasion from the moment you enter this imposing space".

The plot. Aleks Sierz at The Arts Desk wrote that "Christie sets up the plot twists with her usual neatness and economy, gradually creating dramatic tension". Dominic Cavendish in the Telegraph wrote that Christie "retains after all these years a capacity to entertain, amuse and, crucially, unsettle." Even at two stars, WhatsOnStage said "its twists still have the capacity to produce gasps of surprise."

The staging. Tom Wicker in Time Out wrote that "Bailey plays up the melodrama beautifully, in some scenes lighting the judge's bench like something from a horror film, while punctuating mic-drop testimony with a thundering score," and called it "a deliciously enjoyable revival." Dominic Maxwell in The Times: "If this is tosh, it's terrific tosh."

Where Reviews Were Mixed

The scenes away from the court. When the action leaves the courtroom for a barrister's office or a London street, the scenery has to be carried on and off. Tony Peters in the Radio Times wrote that this "rather slows the pace and destroys the atmosphere", and Hitchings found the production "a bit slow-footed".

The writing. WhatsOnStage found it "old-fashioned in the extreme, repeating things we already know and then rushing through elements that are new." The Stage ran its review under the headline "A cumbersome staging", and said the production "lacks dramatic clout".

The film. Hitchings thought it would appeal most to people who had not seen the 1950s film. If you have seen the film you will probably know the ending, but the play has plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Is Witness for the Prosecution Right for You?

Book it if you want a play with a real plot, where you have to keep up with the evidence. Sarah Hemming in the Financial Times called it "delightfully entertaining".

Book it if you like being in the middle of things. The trial is played all around the audience, and from the Courtroom Stalls you are level with the witness box. Tony Peters found the seats in the main chamber "some of the most comfortable theatre seats in London".

Think twice if you want something fast. The critics who were cool on it mostly found it slow in places and old-fashioned in its writing, and it runs 2 hours 15 minutes with the interval.

Think twice for younger children. The official guidance is 10 and over, and it is a long, talk-heavy play with an involved plot.

Audience ratings on theatre review sites sit well above four out of five.

Call us on 020 7193 9050 and we will talk it through.

Book Witness for the Prosecution Tickets

Tickets run from around £20, with most seats from around £75 up to around £120. All-in pricing, so the price you see is what you pay.

The schedule, the seats and who is in the cast on your date are on our Witness for the Prosecution tickets page, and getting there is in our London County Hall guide.

Find tickets • Call us on 020 7193 9050

Sources

The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, Time Out, The Arts Desk, Evening Standard, Financial Times, Radio Times, WhatsOnStage, The Stage.