Written by Dawn King

Directed by Joanna Bowman

Review by Laurie Kemmett

The Tron Theatre

Sometime in the near future, a sparse room with a water cooler bubbling in a corner waits for its occupants. Twelve school-like green chairs sit empty, dwarfed by huge, blocky typography that won’t allow anyone to forget the purpose of this space: ‘The Trials’. These in-your-face words are indicative of the nature of this show: there is no metaphor or subtle imagery here. It’s straightforward as can be, and set and costume designer Jessica Worrall has done a fantastic job at bringing us into this world.

Soon this room will contain twelve teenagers, played by the Tron Young Company. They are here to judge three defendants, ascertain how much of the climate emergency is their fault, and decide their fates. Along the way, the outside world is vividly painted – floods, heatwaves, and limited resources are among the ways in which humanity has perished. As the bright stage lights shine into the audience and the defendants appear one by one in the holding pen situated at eye level, a creeping feeling spreads throughout the Tron – are we the ones on trial? 

Lighting design is a constant delight in ‘The Trials’. Titan of the design form, Derek Anderson, creates swirling snowstorms, infinite skies, and the calm of meditation, aided by the expert hand of movement director Jack Webb. 

It would also be remiss not to mention the acting skills on show. All three adult defendants build a character in the space of a few minutes. Brian Ferguson as Defendant One delivers the misjudged defense of his lifestyle beautifully. Defendant Two (Maryam Hamidi) conveys the fumbling panic of a woman on the edge. And Pauline Goldsmith as Defendant Three is magical, forcing the audience to hold their breath and listen. The Young Company does an admirable job creating different relationships and points of view within the jury. Oskar Waring (Noah) and Tamer Hayou (Tam)  are compelling in both their conviction (in Noah’s case) and lack of (in Tam’s). Mary Tompkins as Sarah and Victoria Mamvuto as Amelia both stand out in particular for their grounding presence in the jury scenes.

It is frustrating, then, that the script does not believe in the audience’s ability to infer context. Information is delivered bluntly, with a clunky explanation of the loss of the Great Barrier Reef sticking out painfully. Even worse is the minute-long explanation of the Nuremberg Trials. With a play such as this, there is a need to trust your audience to make these connections themselves, at risk of losing their sense of reality. Similarly, the use of Instagram activist buzzwords and quotes is jarring at points, and indicates a lack of workshopping with real life young people. 

It is a shame, because among some of the poorer moments of the script come some real gems. For instance, a poignant moment dressed up as comedy occurs when Defendant Two stops herself from using a ‘big word’ – a chilling reminder that these jurors are, at the end of the day, children. ‘The Trials’ as a concept is a truly interesting look at personal culpability versus systemic issues, asking where we draw the line one blame comes into play. With a little editing, the script could be a powerhouse in climate theatre. In the meantime, audiences must face some uncomfortable truths, and decide whether we are all “scrabbling around the edges of a problem”.

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