Edinburgh Fringe 2010
Low Down
The audience becomes the Jury in a Rape Case.
Review
Although not strictly a play, SILENCE IN COURT was sold to the public as ‘entertainment’. And entertaining it certainly was and the audience got involved without hesitation or embarrassment. Designed to be sold on for corporate use, it is explained to the audience at the outset that they are to witness the speeches by prosecuting and defence counsels in a rape case, hear the Judge’s summing up and then (when these actors have retired for 20 minutes) discuss among themselves, with a self-appointed Jury foreman, what the verdict should be. The cast then reassemble and the defendant and the plaintif can be asked questions by the Jury (us). This is all good fun and after another shorter court rising the Verdict is delivered.
In the corporate situation the relevant department heads would have been more interested in the reactions and behaviour of their guinea-pig employees, the jury audience…. How well do they work together? Where are the future leaders of the company? Are they becoming good team layers?
Liam Rudden may have hit on a winning corporate idea here: already tried out successfully in Scotland, plans are already afoot to replicate the idea in the south. Simple, fun and cheap to put on, the value to companies is self-evident. This could be a winner. Five stars for a great idea in the corporate world but in the context of the Edinburgh Fringe, four stars.
