Ageless story of prejudice, presumption, pride and paranoia portrayed perfectly.
Twelve Angry Men written by Reginald Rose at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre, running until 26 September 2026. Directed by Christoher Haydon.
Review by Charles Essex.
The story starts in the jury room as the 12 jurors retire to consider their verdict. A teenager with a track record of antisocial behaviour has murdered his father, with compelling evidence of his guilt. An open-and-shut case surely? They vote straight away expecting that they will be home in time for dinner.
Until one juror, number 8 (Gray O’Brien), puts the brakes on sending someone so speedily to the electric chair by wanting to discuss things further. The characters are never named, only numbered, which focuses the attention on their different characteristics, which director Christopher Haydon draws out superbly as inexorably the tension rises and tempers fray. This is not a courtroom drama in the usual sense as we hear the evidence retrospectively, as it is unpicked.
The quality of the acting is outstanding as each cast member develops character, sometimes forcefully, sometimes diffidently, as this group of 12 portray a cross section of personalities: abrasive, bullying and short tempered (Bill Ward and Jeffrey Harmer); loud-mouthed and a smart-alec (Ricky Norwood); easily swayed (Ben Nealon); and unassertive (Tim Maxwell-Clarke and Micquel Pereira). Two jurors are calm and considered (Kenneth Jay and Paul Beech) and one totally unemotional (Mark Heenehan, with a wonderfully bass voice emphasising his detachment).
The temperature rises inside and outside the room. A summer storm is brewing and a torrential downpour beats against the windows, while emotions run high, fired by Bill and Jeffrey, haranguing, berating, belittling and insulting those whom they consider weak and foolish. Each character has a backstory, but these are used sparingly and only as necessary, the advertising executive, the German émigré watchmaker, the ghetto dweller and the bank clerk, to raise a point or challenge an assumption.
Although Gary initially stands alone, others gradually come alongside him, the quiet man. Two monologues stand out. The rant by juror 6 (Jeffrey Harmer) was visceral in its vitriolic malice and there was a palpable tension in the absolute silence of the audience. The final tirade by juror 3 (Bill Ward), as all the other jurors stare silently at him, reveals so realistically that he is a broken and hurt man, whose malice could have sent a man to Death Row.
This wonderful piece of theatre has no sex, swearing or violence yet grippingly tells a timeless story of scapegoating of individuals or groups and lynch mob mentality. It would be lazy and facile to simply equate it with what some people perceive as the current environment, but this play was written in 1954 and has been acted out in communities for millennia before that. It only has a short run so get a ticket while you can.
Tickets from: Twelve Angry Men | Birmingham Rep
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