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BrumHour saw Twelve Angry Men at the invite of Birmingham Rep.
By Dave Massey
Twelve Angry Men at Birmingham Rep: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐A striking and effective production.
Directed by Christopher Haydon, written by Reginald Rose
Set entirely in a jury deliberation room in the USA, Twelve Angry Men considers the case of a son who may or may not have killed his own father.
It features a jury of twelve men who are all unnamed throughout the production, including actors Ricky Norwood, Gray O’Brien, Tristan Gemmill, Ben Nealon and Bill Ward. Ricky Norwood is excellent and has a real chance to shine with his quirky character, itchy to leave this uncomfortable situation. Tim Maxwell-Clarke is also great as his character becomes more angry and rants throughout. Mark Heenhan is imposing and clean-cut as his character states his case.
The slowly moving set with its huge windows and open walls allows the audience to feel close to the action without having to interact. The costumes are very fitting for the 1950/60s era and add an air of authenticity to the proceedings. There is a light soundtrack, and the effective soundscape recreates a thunderstorm across the city.
This is a striking and effective production which evokes a different era of legal rule and shows how attitudes have changed over time, for the most part. Twelve Angry Men is at Birmingham Rep until 26th September 2026. Book tickets here: birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/twelve-angry-men.
