“An intriguing commentary on revenge and justice”
From the outset, the premise of The Trials, written by Dawn King and directed by Joanna Bowman, was fascinating. Twelve children picked for jury duty forced to determine the fates of the adults responsible: it was a bold and brilliant concept. However, the writing didn’t quite carry through in certain areas and left the show weaker than it could have been.
From the outset, the play was gripping. The audience entered the space to be greeted by the title of the play emblazoned across the wall in a stark black font, refusing to be forgotten. A single shaft of warm light shone through in reminder of the terrible state of this world deeper into the climate crisis than the real one… though not by much. One of the strongest aspects of the script was how alarmingly similar it came to the audience’s own. With every new piece of information that unfolded about the lives of the characters, it forced the audience to reflect on their own complicity. This was very compelling, and worked effectively throughout.
The acting, from the youngest members of the cast to the oldest, was great. Each adult actor — Brian Ferguson, Maryam Hamidi, and Pauline Goldsmith — gave a spell-binding, moving performance. As an audience member, it was easy to fall into the role of jury, trying to decide on a verdict based on what was learned.
The young actors were a highlight of the show! Each of the jury had wonderful performances, each actor giving their all in a show that was highly emotional. There were no two characters that felt alike; a commendable aspect of the writing, the directing, and the actors’ own abilities. Of particular strength were the actors involved in the memorable moments of make-believe, as some characters are too young to remember snow or dairy ice-cream. Here, the directing and movement shone, capturing the audience’s hearts with these beautiful images created.
Indeed, the show as a whole was strong in every sense — except, at some times, the writing. The pacing of the script felt jarring. Trial one and trial two dragged in moments, while trial three, arguably the most fascinating trial, was over far too quickly. Some characters felt two-dimensional or shallow. In the same vein, the moment of tension between jurors Sarah and Ren feels random and unresolved. Other characters’ stories felt similarly unresolved, while some arguments began to feel clichéd.
This shallowness falls to the pacing and structure. With more time spent on the third trial rather than the first two, the characters could have been developed in more complex ways. King manages this so superbly with the character of Noah and Ren: it would have been great to see more of this!
However, the weaknesses in the play’s structure should not detract from the overall message. ‘The Trials’ is a haunting story of guilt, responsibility, and the betrayal felt by twelve young people towards those meant to protect them. King’s play is a necessary one, and with a few tweaks would be even more impactful. The actors’ performances were gritty and wonderfully compelling. The young actors especially gave fantastic performances in this educational and entertaining show.
This show’s run concludes on Saturday 14th March at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow. The ticket link can be found here: https://www.tron.co.uk/shows/the-trials/.
Author: Noah McGarrity