Jury Play

An immersive theatre co-production between GRID IRON and TRAVERSE THEATRE

Written by Ben Harrison and Dr Jenny Scott

2nd – 7th October 2017

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Juror participation is not a feature of our criminal trials.
But what if the system could be different?

Inspired by the pioneering work of Dr Jenny Scott, this immersive play transforms Traverse 1 into a courtroom where barriers are deconstructed and jurors take centre stage.

We tune into the thoughts, fears and anxieties of fifteen jurors, selected from the audience, as they struggle to stay focused in a high profile murder trial. What does ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ actually mean? Why is all the evidence presented in an illogical order?

Peter the Judge is disaffected too. For years he has watched as the jurors struggled with understanding the complexities of evidence and cross-examination. Maybe it’s time for a change, for an experiment in democracy.

Grid Iron bring their 21 year-old multi-award winning expertise and audience-centred work to bear on the dynamics of a courtroom; re-imagining the architecture, the subtle oppressions and the failure to deal with prejudice.

Photography by: Mihaela Bodlovic.

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What The Press Said

“Sometimes the power and excitement of a show begin long before you take your seat and remain with you for several days after … it’s worth saying at this point that this is in no way like your standard trip to the theatre… the meat of the piece really comes out as an intelligent, human, and common sense discussion into the way we conduct trials… the fourth wall isn’t so much broken as shattered, with a piece of it distributed to each and every person in the room… Overall this is a fascinating insight into the legal system, what it’s like to be a jury member, and how seemingly unfit for purpose the whole setup is – especially for people like me who have very little knowledge of its intricacies.”

Edinburgh 49★★★★

“From start to finish the experience is made as close to taking part in a spot of jury service as is possible to get without actually doing it…. Making a piece of theatre as dull as a day in a courtroom while maintaining an audience’s engagement is not easy to pull off. It helps that John Bett, as the Judge, is highly entertaining even when delivering ponderous tediousness, but this intriguing play gets you thinking and raises important questions for which there are, as yet, no answers.”

Edinburgh Guide★★★★

“Stepping into another world is not unusual for an audience attending a new piece of theatre by Edinburgh based site-specific auteurs Grid Iron…. a genuine stab at democracy is let loose in the courtroom in the most civil of ways. This is done through an eminently playful set of exchanges… The end result is a fascinatingly drawn out fanfare for the common man and woman that puts the judicial system in the dock and finds it wanting.”

The Herald★★★★

“The show is a prime example of theatre as a driver of social change and a place for popular debate… this is a fascinating and provocative event, not to mention an object lesson in how to handle an immersive audience.”

The Stage★★★★

“An exciting, witty and thrillingly open-ended piece of drama about what we mean by justice, and how we can achieve something closer to it; presented with all the flair, elegance and sense of spectacle that is Grid Iron’s hallmark.”

The Scotsman★★★★

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Cast

Judge: John Bett

Ms Kennedy (Defence): Mary Gapinski

Kenny: Neil John Gibson

Macer/Policeman/Mr Dancer: Sean Hay

Janis: Helen Mackay

Ms Bell (Prosecutor): Kirstin Murray

Mrs Gray/Macer/G4S Officer: Gail Watson

Production Team

GRID IRON

Writer & Director:
Ben Harrison

Writer:
Dr Jenny Scott

Producer:
Judith Doherty

Assistant Director/Transmedia Design:
Rob Jones

Set & Costume Design:
Emily James

Music & Sound Design:
David Paul Jones

Lighting Design:
Paul Claydon

Video Design:
Lewis den Hertog

Stage Manager:
Gemma Turner

Deputy Stage Manager/Clerk to the Court:
Lauren Roberts

Costume Supervisor:
Sophie Ferguson

Finance & Development Manager:
Deborah Crewe

Set built by:
Big House Events

Print design by:
Emma Quinn

TRAVERSE THEATRE

Artistic Director:
Orla O’Loughlin

Executive Producer:
Linda Crooks

Associate Director (Dramaturgical Support):
Zinnie Harris

Dramaturg:
Rosie Kellagher

Production Manager:
Kevin McCallum

Chief Electrician:
Renny Robertson

Deputy Electrician:
Claire Elliot

Lighting and Sound Technician:
Tom Saunders

Head of Stage:
Gary Staerk

Set Storage:
CR Smith

PLACEMENTS

Stage Management:
Alison White

Technical:
Sophie Wright

Sound Design:
Gavin Russell

View Our Programme

To read more information about the show, including the Director’s Note and team biographies, have a look through our production programme.

Download our programme pdf here

Supporters

The production was kindly supported by the following…

The Assistant Director position is supported by the Federation of Scottish Theatre with funding from Creative Scotland.