To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee, , Writer - Harper Lee, Adapter/Playwright – Aaron Sorkin, Director – Bartlett Sher, Associate Director – Louisa Muller, Set Designer – Miriam Buether, Design Supervisor – Ed Pierce, Costume Designer – Ann Roth, Lighting Designer – Jennifer Tipton, Sound Designer – Scott Lehrer, Composer (Original Score) – Adam Guettel, Musical Supervisor – Kimberley Grigsby, Casting Director – Serena Hill CDG, Hair and Wigs Designer – Campbell Young Associates, Resident Director – Laurence Belcher, Cultural Coordinator – Tavia Jefferson, (UK & Ireland tour, opening at Leeds Playhouse, 2025) Atticus Finch – Richard Coyle, Scout Finch – Anna Munden, Jem Finch – Gabriel Scott, Dill Harris – Dylan Malyn, Calpurnia – Andrea Davy, Judge Taylor – Stephen Boxer, Tom Robinson – Aaron Shosanya, Bob Ewell – Oscar Pearce, Mayella Ewell – Evie Hargreaves, Horace Gilmer – Richard Dempsey, Mrs Dubose – Sarah Finigan, Miss Stephanie / Dill’s Mother – Phillipa Flynn, Mr Cunningham / Boo Radley – Harry Attwell, Sheriff Heck Tate – Colin R Campbell, Link Deas – Simon Hepworth, Ensemble – Paul Albertson, Ensemble – James Mitchell, Ensemble – Jonathan Rubin, Ensemble – Cheryl Burniston, Ensemble – Charlotte Luxford, Ensemble – Oyin Orija, Ensemble – Tiwai Muza, Ensemble – Tom Brace-Jenkins, Ensemble – John J. O’Hagan

REVIEW: To Kill A Mockingbird

Published on by Claire McArthur

Rating: 4 out of 5.

“Gripping adaptation of the historic novel”

Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, is a story of racial inequality and injustice in 1930’s Alabama, seen through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch. Centered around a trial where their father Atticus (meticulously played by John J. O’Hagan in tonight’s performance) defends Tom Robinson (an exquisite Aaron Shosanya) against false accusations of assault and rape, the children are faced with shifting perspectives and judgements of them and those around them, as well as a reclusive neighbour. 

In this adaptation by Aaron Sorkin, the structure of the show differs from a novel via an intriguing chronology. The climax of the novel is focused on the trial and the aftermath, whereas here we’re given slices of the trial from the start of the production, interspersed with flashbacks and contextual scenes, driven by the perspective of Scout and Jem, and their friend Dill Harris. 

Miriam Buether’s uniquely constructed set design, with stage elements pulled and pushed together by cast members to form each environment in seconds, facilitates this frequent change in perspective, and helped create a sense of movement on stage, breaking up the static elements of dialogue. However, given the softness of the Southern drawl, there were occasions on this night where the set movements overpowered the final words of dialogue. 

The cast performances really excel in this production. Atticus and Tom Robinson aside, Scout (played by a superb Anna Munden, all restless energy and youthful curiosity) and Jem (Gabriel Scott, perfectly wrestling with the threshold of adulthood and righteous indignation), in combination with Dill (a delightful Dylan Malyn) are excellent counterpoints to the rest of the story, providing comic relief as well as knowing asides with added context to the audience. Oscar Pearce is fantastically odious as Bob Ewell, and Evie Hargraves as Mayella Ewell, wonderfully portrayed her fear before slipping into repeating her father’s poisonous rhetoric, in a chilling outburst.    

Understandably given the subject nature, this is a heavy-going play, especially with the oft-repeated racist speech, combined with a run time of nearly 3 hrs including interval. The comic relief, coming from the three youngsters, particularly Dill, comes as a welcome relief. 

In the programme notes, Sorkin notes that the character of Calpurnia (played here by Andrea Davy) has been given more of a voice (and rightly so) but aside from some conversations with Atticus, this still feels rather half-hearted, relying on zingy one-liners to end conversations, rather than rounding out the character. This is especially apparent  when there’s an incredibly brief but tender exchange between her and Scout that begged to be explored more deeply.

All in all, this is an excellent production that will enthrall lovers of the book and those new to the story, and throws into sharp relief the importance and the relevance of the message in today’s society. The audience reaction of a standing ovation was the only fitting response to a play that will stay with viewers for years to come.


“To Kill a Mockingbird” runs from 21 – 25 October 2025, at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, before touring across UK & Ireland. Further information and show dates are available from: https://www.mockingbirdplay.com/tour

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