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Learn all about joining the jury for this popular courtroom drama and plan your Witness for the Prosecution London trip
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Agatha Christie, Queen of Crime, adapted her own short story into this riveting play in 1953. The story centres on a young man named Leonard Vole who is arrested following the murder of a wealthy older woman, Emily French, who he had recently befriended.
Now Leonard is on trial for his life: if he’s found guilty, it’ll be the hangman’s noose. The only thing that might save him is the testimony of his wife Romaine – but will she support him, and what really happened? Join the detectives and lawyers in trying to find the truth at the heart of this fiendish puzzle.
Even better: feel like you’re really in court with Leonard thanks to the atmospheric site-specific production at the historic London County Hall. You’ll sit on wooden benches (or you can even book seats in the jury box), becoming part of this immersive courtroom drama – and playing a key role in judging the man on trial.
You can find seats for the London production of Witness for the Prosecution on Telegraph Tickets. It’s particularly exciting sitting in the jury box, but the views are great from both the stalls and the galleries too. Check Telegraph Tickets for the latest prices.
Witness for the Prosecution is a rich period drama with plenty of great roles for its ensemble – from Leonard Vole and the lead lawyers through to colourful supporting parts. The London County Hall production, in particular, has seen excellent companies bringing this murder mystery to life since it opened 2017.
The London cast currently features George Jones (The Mousetrap) as Leonard Vole, Meghan Treadaway (War Horse) as Vole’s wife Romaine, Oliver Boot (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) as Sir Wilfrid Robarts QC, David Killick (The King’s Speech) as Mr Justice Wainwright, and Veronica Roberts (The Mirror Crack’d) as witness Janet Mckenzie.
This innovative production is directed by Lucy Bailey, whose numerous shows include work for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Hampstead Theatre. It gives you the chance to match your wits against the greatest crime writer of all time, Agatha Christie. Can you figure out whodunit?
Witness for the Prosecution runs at London County Hall, which is on the South Bank, near Waterloo and other cultural centres such as the National Theatre and the Royal Festival Hall.
Witness for the Prosecution is 2hr 30, including an interval.
Witness for the Prosecution is currently booking to March 30, 2025.
The age recommendation for Witness for the Prosecution is 10+. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Yes, the show runs some captioned and audio-described performances. Upcoming dates can be found on the theatre website.
“Agatha Christie’s bravura twisty plotting is still second to none. Combined with Lucy Bailey’s inspired use of an historic location, it’s criminally entertaining.” Read the full Telegraph review.
Yes. The plot first appeared (in a simpler form) in her 1925 short story Traitor’s Hands. Christie then developed it further, adding new characters and changing the ending, when she developed it into a stage play in 1953. It was an immediate hit, and has since run on Broadway and been adapted for TV and film.
Spoilers! Part of the fun of the show is puzzling that out for yourself – and it’s a particularly clever one, even for Agatha Christie. Let’s just say the play is concerned with how our personal biases can sway us from the truth, and how that impacts on justice, news and more, making it just as relevant for an audience today.
That’s the big question at the heart of the play. You’ll get to hear evidence from Leonard, his wife Romaine and Mrs French’s housekeeper, among others. However, there’s a big difference between their subjective accounts and what really happened. Can you get justice for Mrs French? Or will Agatha Christie surprise you with her killer truth?