WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION

Henry Lawson Theatre Inc

It is always lovely to visit Henry Lawson Theatre. You know that the room will be filled with an enthusiastic audience, the stage will feature passionate performers and the front of house attention to detail will ensure everyone feels part of the show. 

My last visit featured the youthful energy of Stories in the Dark - a cast filled with young and debuting performers finding their feet on stage - however, Witness for the Prosecution offered quite a different theatrical experience. Here was a company of experienced performers, comfortable in the rhythms of dialogue, character and the particular pleasure of a good old-fashioned courtroom drama. 

In Agatha Christie’s tale, Leonard Vole (Christopher Pali), a charming but penniless young man, stands accused of murdering Emily French, the wealthy widow who had recently made him her principal heir. His barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robarts QC (Bob Sparrow), is sceptical at first but won over by Vole's apparent sincerity, yet the entire case will come to rest on the testimony of Vole's cool, unreadable wife Romaine (Nicole Smith). Christie is a playwright who asks us to listen carefully, watch closely and make our own decisions about who we can trust. It is a play where a raised eyebrow, a hesitation or a seemingly insignificant detail can matter enormously, which makes it a particularly satisfying choice for actors who enjoy real character work and this production certainly gave its actors plenty of opportunity to indulge in that. 

The strongest performances came from the leads, who brought genuine character into the courtroom rather than simply serving as vehicles for Christie's plot. Pali's Vole walks the line between wounded innocence and something slipperier without ever tipping his hand, while Smith’s Romaine is the production's true star - precise, controlled and giving the character the required enigmatic aura. Bob Sparrow and Elliott Prophet bring the perfect level of gravitas to the defendant’s legal team, opposed delightfully by Mark Prophet as the prosecutor. 

Being unfamiliar with the play, I was somewhat surprised by the size of the cast. By nature, a courtroom drama requires many moments of monologue, as opposed to conversational interactions, therefore audience focus is systematically drawn to one character at a time. Nevertheless, the whole cast offered consistent character through moments of "business" that I quite appreciated. While listening to the lines being delivered, I could not help but notice the gestures and reactions of the supporting cast as they helped bring the courtroom to life. It was a lovely example of Henry Lawson Theatre’s commitment to true ensemble performance.

And while the courtroom may be the star location of the play, the set deserves its own round of applause. Working with a relatively small performance space is always a challenge, particularly for a play that needs to establish a convincing courtroom environment, and director Ian Fletcher's staging made very good use of what was available. The witness box, dock and gallery are arranged so the audience never quite escape the feeling of having been called for jury duty themselves. There is a pleasing sense of detail to the environment, enough to establish period and atmosphere without ever overwhelming the performers. It is a reminder that good design doesn't necessarily require a huge stage; sometimes it is simply about knowing exactly how to use the space you have.

Witness for the Prosecution is a play that benefits enormously from actors who understand that sometimes the most interesting thing happening on stage is not the line being spoken, but the reaction to it. With its strong character performances, thoughtfully constructed set and clever use of a compact performance space, this production provided plenty of those moments. 

The whole reason we go to the theatre is to allow people to share a story - Agatha Christie supplied a very good story and this cast clearly understood the assignment by telling it well.

Witness for the Prosecution 

Directed by Ian Fletcher

Performance Dates:  21 August - 5 September 2026

Henry Lawson Theatre

Tickets:  https://www.trybooking.com/DLTYC

Photo Credit: Bec Fletcher