First staged in 1953, Witness for the Prosecution is an enduring thriller from the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, following prisoner Leonard Vole (Reagan Warner) as he stands accused of murdering the wealthy widow Emily French, shortly after being made the primary beneficiary in her will. His fate turns on the testimony of his wife Romaine Heilger (Sandy Adsett) who hatches a plan which sends the proceedings into disarray, perplexing the prisoner’s barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robarts (David Hill) and audience alike; In typical Christie style, suspense ascends certainty, the solution is shrouded until the very end – and we are in for entertaining evening, piecing the puzzle together.
Reagan Warner is animated and layered as Leonard, showing appealing restraint in the role, effectively embodying his character’s very English sensibilities. Leonard is portrayed as familiar, respectable and at least superficially decent – however the audience question their trust in his true character and motivation, with cause for our reservations remaining throughout. David Hill has some fine moments as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, capturing suitable ambivalence with nice rhythm in the witness examination scenes; While Hill strains for his lines occasionally on preview night, his portrayal is nonetheless sympathetic, with the bearing and gravitas required for an esteemed man of the law.
As Romaine Heilger, Sandy Adsett is enigmatic, eye-catching and thoroughly enjoyable, as we wonder whether she is duplicitous or dedicated. Liz Hull as Janet Mackenzie is another highlight, creating a memorable characterisation, paying fabulous attention to small details such as gait and gesture, turning her supporting role into a scene-stealer. As Greta, Kailan Tyler-Moss is sweetly naïve, bringing some levity to the plot’s more serious business.
Elsewhere, Luke Friedman is a lively study as Mr Myers KC – showing deft comedic flourishes, serving side-eye and sanctimony as he huffily adjusts his horsehair wig. Toby Chittenden is a memorable and commanding Inspector Hearne, David Scholes provides an unflappable and determined Dr Wyatt, with John Grey an assiduous Mr Carter. Wayne Hinton as The Judge, Paul Hynes as Mr Mayhew, Kip Jeffree as Court Clerk and Marisa Bucolo as The Woman each make an impression in their smaller roles.
The costumes look wonderful, the set and sound design are simple, yet effective. Unfortunately, the timing of sound effects is off in parts – i.e., a collective gasp from the jury, which lands about 2 seconds late. I think the jury sound effects could be dispensed with altogether, but if they are retained then tighter timing and smoother fadeouts would benefit. However, such critique is minor as overall Vox Productions have delivered a riveting revival of this compulsive courtroom caper. Hearty congratulations to Director/Producer Nicky Whichelow and the entire Vox Productions team.
To book tickets to Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie, please visit https://www.metroarts.com.au/event/witness-for-the-prosecution/.
