This absurdist parody, full of bold and well-formed characters, presented successful courtroom tableaus, in a lively, varied and entertaining performance. Some individual performances bordered on those of your average prima donna, but despite this, it descended into rather entertaining chaos with moderate success. The reversal of Henry Fonda’s sane, well-argued defences from ‘12 Angry Men’ into Jurassic-Park-fixated logic, was a kind of humour which simultaneously raised spirits and a few eyebrows. Speaking as someone who is very familiar with the original, lines like “big stupid farty poo mouth” were a distinct – and not entirely unsuccessful – play on the original, and stands as evidence for what was, on occasion, a zany and spirited performance.

theSpaces at Surgeons Hall, 8 – 13 Aug (not 9, 12), times vary, £5.00, fpp307.
tw rating 3/5
[jlb]