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Review: Outstanding performance of Twelve Angry Men is a must-see at Aberdeen

The simple concept made for outstanding viewing. Thought provoking and powerful.

The cast of Twelve Angry Men sitting around a table
Image: Jack Merriman

If someone had told me I would enjoy watching a dozen opinionated, grumpy and often prejudiced men fighting for two hours I would have severely doubted their judgement.

However, I was more than pleasantly surprised after my trip to HM Theatre last night to see the West End hit Twelve Angry Men.

Having never seen the Reginald Rose movie I only had a vague idea of what to expect.

Set in 1950s America, the story follows an all-male jury panel who set about deliberating the fate of a 16-year-old boy on trial accused of murdering his dad.

But what appears to be an open and shut case soon becomes a huge topic of debate as prejudices and preconceived ideas about the accused, the trial, and each other turn the tables every way.

Jason Merells sitting on set
Jason Merrells as Juror 8. Image: Jack Merriman.

For those of you who are among the murder mystery obsessed, you won’t be disappointed.

There are plenty of twists to the plot to get any crime fan thinking.

But the best part was watching as eleven of the angry men, who were convinced there could be no smoke without fire, slowly come to terms with the magnitude of the decisions they were set to make in that jury room.

Twelve Angry Men captivated Aberdeen audience

Powerful, emotional, thought-provoking and even at times funny, the star-studded cast was flawless in their performance.

Each actor was as strong as the next, and the 12 male leads never faltered. It was outstanding.

Many successful West End shows rely on a brilliant score of musical numbers, fancy settings and elaborate costumes.

Yet the simplicity of Twelve Angry Men, with one set, no music and no costume changes, made it all the more impressive.

The cast of Twelve Angry Men, who are currently performing in Aberdeen
Twelve Angry Men will be performing in Aberdeen from 20th February to the 24th.

At times the audience was so captivated you could have heard a pin drop during silent moments on stage.

The drama wrapped up with a well-deserved rapturous applause from a busy theatre and as the lights went down for the final time, the chatter was all about how good the show was.

The production kicks off Granite Noir, Aberdeen Performing Art’s annual crime fiction festival, and runs until Saturday, February 28.

You can buy your tickets here.

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