Twelve Angry Men Is A Sure-Fire Hit

Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men has made a welcome return to the West Midlands. Having started its life at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2013, before opening on the West End, it now arrives at Wolverhampton Grand, with a stellar cast that deliver a dramatic punch.

Twelve Angry Men follows the story of a jury who are responsible for delivering a verdict that is essentially between life vs death. Leading the cast of 13 (12 jurors and a guard) is the charismatic Jason Merrells (Juror 8), the one juror who cannot say that beyond reasonable doubt the defendant is guilty of murder. The only problem; there are 11 other jurors that think the defendant is guilty.

However, gradually the tables are turned, literally, as one by one the jurors begin to see past their prejudices and pre-conceptions to uncover that they can’t explicitly say that beyond reasonable doubt the defendant is guilty.

Andrew Lancel plays the role of hot-headed juror 3 excellently, with equally powerful performances from Denis Lill and Paul Beech. The play is sprinkled with humour throughout, and this balance between laughter and drama is what makes it so special. The performances from the entire cast were stunning and you were drawn in by these brilliant characters from the offset.

Designed by Michael Pavelka, the set was superb. From the dingy bathroom, to the non-working fan and the overheated jurors room, there were fantastic finishing touches such as running water and the juror’s table, which gradually turned 360 degrees through the show.

If you have not yet managed to catch this play on stage, do not miss it at Wolverhampton Grand this week. It is a sure-fire hit. 

Twelve Angry Men plays at Wolverhampton Grand until 22 May. To book your tickets, click here or call the Grand's box office on 01902 429 212.