Witness For The Prosecution is technically all there but lacks the flair of West End rivals

SITTING in a courtroom I prepared myself for a show - no it wasn’t the Wagatha Christie trial but Agatha Christie’s Witness For The Prosecution.

It’s a far cry from the sprawling theatres I’m used to being packed into when I see West End productions. 

The setting is intimidating and perfectly sets the scene for the showdown I’m about to witness. 

Witness For The Prosecution tells the tale of Leonard Vole who is up on trial for allegedly murdering an elderly lady he befriended while his life unravels around him.

The long-running show has recently undergone a cast change with Joshua Glenister taking on the defendant and Lauren O’Neil as his wife Romaine. 

I don’t warm particularly to either of the main characters, which is what is wanted I think, and I find O’Neil’s German accent more comical than accurate. 

They and the rest of the cast are deft at switching the stage props to move from the courtroom to lawyers' offices and back again. 

Doctor’s star Peter Landi is excellent as solicitor Mr Mayhew who initially takes on Leonard's case and is perfectly complemented by Owen Oakshott as Sir Wilfred Robarts QC. 

The play twists and turns in ways I didn’t expect - I haven’t read the original novel which made the show all the more exhilarating.

It captures the drama of a real-life courtroom from back in the early 1900s and being set in the real thing adds an extra dimension of believability. 

However, while the story is gripping my attention does wander slightly unlike some of the other shows I have seen recently. 

I find Glenister’s Leonard Leonard so dislikable I almost don’t really care what happens to him, but thankfully the drama does keep my interest. 

For people not familiar with the legal process, this production may be hard to follow but that is not the fault of the actors. 

For a play about justice, it certainly makes you question it. I left the play unsure if I was happy with how it was resolved.

That also sums up my feelings about this production, unresolved. Technically this was well done but it lacked some of the flair I’ve seen elsewhere in recent months. 

Witness for the Prosecution

County Hall, London
★★★