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17 September 2024

The opportunity to review the premiere of a new play, by a drama group new to us, and at a venue that we’ve never been to before was an appealing prospect from the outset, and, as anticipated, we were rewarded with an evening of thought-provoking entertainment in the cosy 40-seater Maskers’ studio theatre. Though new to us, the Maskers’ Theatre Company has been around since 1968 and we now know it has a well-deserved reputation for producing quality amateur theatre. They can now add Murder in the Citizens’ Jury to their list of successes.

Written by local author and scriptwriter Denise A Baden, who is also Professor of Sustainability Practice at the University of Southampton, Murder in the Citizens’ Jury is a shortened adaptation of the award-winning TV script ‘The Assassin’. As suggested by its title, the play is concerned with a murder, and, superficially, it’s a typical Agatha Christie-esque ‘Whodunnit’ scenario. However, the story is really about the climate change crisis and the pressing need to take urgent and effective action to stop the doomsday clock from ticking down.  The murder victim is a member of the first Citizens’ Jury in the UK, which is composed of eight ordinary people who have been carefully selected as being representative of society as a whole. The Jury has been given executive power to make legally binding decisions on possible solutions to the looming crisis – but each and every member of the Jury must be fully in agreement with the measures for them to be actually implemented. This appears to be a straightforward arrangement, but it proves not to be the case because the Jury is riddled with conflict as each member pursues their own individual agenda. With the tension building and time running out, the members of the Jury start to compromise around a proposed solution, but one person is having none of it and will not give in to the others. If the Jury fails to deliver anything at all then this new political system will almost certainly be abandoned, and nothing will change.

The murder victim is revealed in the opening scene and, owing to political sensitivities around the Citizens’ Jury experiment, the matter is referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for investigation. His enquiries involve interviewing each of the Jury members and the events are re-enacted from the beginning, with many amusing moments along the way as the characters tear each other to shreds.

Having discovered the relevant facts, the Director of Public Prosecutions is confronted with the moral dilemma of whether or not to prosecute the killer. With so much at stake and the future of the Citizens’ Jury hanging in the balance, the audience is invited to help in deciding the course of action. Needless to say, the outcome may well be different for each performance of the play!

The cast of nine actors assembled for this production are a mixture of long-standing Maskers’ performers and others who are relatively new to the company. Although there was evidence of first night nerves and here and there a missed line or two, (which will undoubtedly be polished up for subsequent shows), all of the players acquit themselves well and turn in convincing performances of high emotion and authenticity for their parts. Emily Smith is particularly powerful in the leading part of Sarah, Chair of the Jury and an activist who is committed to changing the status quo. As Sarah, Emily definitely leads from the front. Philip deGrouchy, also stands out in the other leading part of the conflicted Director of Public Prosecutions, who struggles to reconcile legal and moral imperatives.  The performances of the other players are no less significant and are just as worthy of praise in their roles as members of the Jury.

The production team have created an impressive setting for the play in a limited space. Most remarkable, at the rear of the stage, is a large screen displaying a doomsday clock which is continuously resetting as it follows the timing of the events, but is inextricably ticking towards zero hour. The sound effects and background music are also perfectly synchronized and enhances the overall effect.

Apparently, this is Director Jo Fox’s first foray into directing and on this showing, it shouldn’t be the last.

- Philip & Julie McStraw