TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
Birmingham
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
by Harper Lee adapted by Christopher Sergel
Birmingham Repertory Theatre To 18 November
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Tue & Thu 2.30pm
then continuing on tour (for details, see review in Leeds).
Runs 2hr 30min One interval
TICKETS: 0121 236 4455
www.birmingham-rep.co.uk (Birmingham performances)
Review: Jan Pick: 31.10.06.
Conscience On Trial .
Racism in its most ugly form takes to the stage at the Birmingham Rep for the next few weeks. Christopher Sergel’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel of inequality and injustice in America’s deep south during the Great Depression, is an uncomfortable reminder of the cost of bigotry. First published in 1960, despite the passage of years, the novel's message remains as powerful and relevant as it was then.
This joint production from the Birmingham Rep and the West Yorkshire Playhouse presents a gripping story of the courageous attempt of a small town lawyer, Atticus Finch, to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of assault and rape. It is not a job he would have chosen, but, having taken it on, he has the integrity and the determination to do his best for a man wrongly accused in a society where to be black is to be considered automatically guilty.
Seen through the eyes of his children, particularly his daughter, Jean Louise (Scout) – a lovely performance from Bettrys Jones - her brother, Jeremy (Jem), and their friend, Charles Baker Harris (Dill), the story deals with issues of racism and the moral responsibility to the truth that underpins society’s value structures and respect for justice. The trio of ‘children’ Jem, Dill and Scout are not only acted with skill and understanding, they also provide some much needed and appreciated touches of humour in a play which might otherwise be depressingly bleak.
It's sensitively staged, with the help of evocative music and atmospheric lighting. Simon Higlett’s ingeniously adaptable set manages to change location from front-yard and street, to jail, then courtroom in seconds. The company give excellent performances, particularly Helen Ryan as Maudie Atkinson, the Finch’s neighbour - who as the narrator, confides in and shares extra information with the audience - and the trio at the centre of the drama, Vinta Morgan as the accused, Tom Robinson, Sally Tatum as the downtrodden victim, Mayella Ewell, and Ged McKenna as her abusive and violent father, Bob.
But the laurels of the evening have to go to Duncan Preston, who was totally convincing as Atticus Finch, fighting for the victory of decency - with a nod to James Stewart – and determined to see the good in even the worst of his neighbours.
Apart from an occasional lack of clarity - more the fault of the acoustics in the Rep mixed with the deep-south accents than the actors’ – this is an absorbing evening’s theatre and well worth seeing.
Maudie Atkinson: Helen Ryan
Jean Louise Finch (Scout): Bettrys Jones
Calpurnia: Andrea Harris
Stephanie Crawford: Anita Booth
Heck Tate: Stephen Casey
Judge Taylor: Charlie Roe
Mrs Dubose: Tor Clark
Jeremy Finch (Jem): Craig Vye
Reverend Sykes: Joe Speare
Mayella Ewell: Sally Tatum
Bob Ewell: Ged McKenna
Charles Baker Harris (Dill): Jean-Marc Perret
Nathan Radley: Christopher Chilton
Atticus Finch: Duncan Preston
Mr Cunningham: Charlie Roe
Tom Robinson: Vinta Morgan
Mr Gilmer: Richard Heap
Citizen: Paul Mulryne
Citizen: Christopher Chilton
Citizen: Andrew Kwamé
Citizen: Charity Or
Arthur Radley (Boo): Richard Heap
Director: Michael Buffong
Designer: Simon Higlett
Lighting: Johanna Town
Sound: Mic Pool
Fight director: Kate Waters
Voice/Dialect Coach: Sally Hague
Associate director: Neale Birch
2006-11-05 20:28:28