THEATRE REVIEW: Edith - The Lowry Theatre, Salford.

After a rather long (30 minute) wait in the foyer before the start of this production, due to a malfunctioning projector, I was still in high spirits, hoping this 90-minute play (performed without interval) would provide an uplifting and thought-provoking play to dissipate or even vanquish my disappointment at the uncomfortable delay.

The stage was set - a central platform / dais with a chair and four performers seated uniformly and squarely at the sides, all dressed in modern clothes and all in black. 

The play is a verbatim but modernised reconstruction of the 1922 trial of 28-year-old Edith Thompson, who, according to the court, was found guilty of complicity to murder by inciting her lover to kill her husband. The idea that this was going to be made relevant to our contemporary society, and that we might be able to put our own 21st century spin on the case etc sounded like a truly interesting and original idea. However, in reality, due to the nature of this being a verbatim piece, the only things in this production which were contemporary were the costumes and set design. All the dialogue and indeed the actions and reactions of the company were still very much set in the 1920s. And now here's the rub... this was working very much at odds with the very modern idea of cross-gender casting. The vast majority of the male roles (protagonists and integral to the plot) were performed by females, which although one has to accept that this is nothing worthy of comment in 2023, we were, to all intents and purposes, still in 1922 this evening, and this awkward juxtaposition jarred.

Ultra-modern screens at the rear of the stage drew graphics, showed photos and video footage to aid and ameliorate the setting etc, and the only splash of colour in the whole 90 minutes was a blood red dress worn by defendant Edith during her trial. This made for an interesting and very stark visual metaphor which should have worked much better than it actually did.

However, unfortunately, what should have been a gripping, visceral, thrilling courtroom drama, was, in this production by Crowded Room, pedestrian at best. Directed by Madelaine Moore there was no change in dynamics throughout the entire 90 minutes, and the format was so predictable that it became irritating. All the cast walked at the same speed all the time (slowly) without variation, and the vocal dynamics never got any higher or quieter than normal conversation. Rarely have I ever been so bored in a theatre. The whole was monotonous and predictable, and without the company having established any jeopardy or making us care about Edith [we had no reason to watch her case without having anything to make us emote and care - which was sadly lacking] in the first place, then the denouement offered no excitement or thrill. In fact, having been ordered to stand at the beginning for the entrance of the judge (just as if we were actually spectators in the court), one assumed that after the summations at the end, we might have been included once again to see if we agreed with the jury's verdict; however this was not to be, and we were never once included in the play after the initial command to stand. 

The play worked through the court transcripts in order, even giving the audience three-minute "recesses" between the days of the trial. These three minute breaks would only have been interesting and necessary had we actually been a part of the production and been given the roles of the jury. However, as already stated, we were simply observers in this trial, and therefore these breaks did nothing except lengthen the ordeal. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 2.2.23