Witness for the Prosecution

Witness for the Prosecution, Leeds Civic Hall

We went to see Agatha Christie's play, Witness for the Prosecution in Leeds last night - and it was amazing!

It was set in a real courtroom, in the chambers of Leeds Civic Hall. I don't want to give too much away, but Leonard Vole had been accused of murdering an elderly lady, called Miss Emily French, with whom he had spending a lot of time. His alibi depends on the testimony of his wife, Romaine Vole - the Witness for the Prosecution.

From the moment we arrived, we felt like part of the play. We were met at the door by a Police Officer who asked if we had been summoned for the case against Leonard Vole. He also checked we did not have any sharp objects before allowing us into the building.

When we entered into the courthouse we were greeted by a lady checking tickets - she was also in character, and dressed accordingly for the era (~1950s).

We walked through the beautiful corridors of Leeds Civic Hall and along the way were characters and props, making it feel really authentic. The characters interacted with us - we were accosted by a man from the press (Percy Ellund), who asked us our opinion on the upcoming case. He was dressed the part and had an old-fashioned camera. The acting was great, and we hadn't even sat down yet!

Then, we were summoned to court!

We had seats in the Jury Box, and had a great view of the judge and the witnesses as they gave evidence. The prosecutor and defence lawyers directed their address to us. Some of the characters were sat in the audience - the defence lawyer, Sir Wilfred Robartes, Q.C. was next to me!

It was very realistic and atmospheric - we were even asked to stand when the judge, Mr Justice Wainwright, entered and left the court.

The acting was outstanding, and it felt like we were in a real courtroom, as part of a trial. The story, of course, was excellent. Agatha Christie keeps you guessing to the end, with the usual twists and red herrings thrown in. I've heard a version of the radio play before, but the performance last night was much better, and really gripping.

All in all it was a lovely evening, watching a great performance in a beautiful setting, which I would recommend to anyone!

The performance is in Leeds until 30 August and you can book tickets here.