The Trial

Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple

Review: John Lyon

FIVE talented actors, a cleverly constructed minimalist set in which to tell the story, and Ella Vale's tight, brilliant direction stood out like beacons in Blackeyed Theatre's production of Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Kafka's classic.

And let's not forget North Devon Theatre's valuable input which gave the Berkshire-based company a vital lift before their Barnstaple opening of a national spring tour. Hours of toil in featureless rehearsal rooms can't beat fine tuning on a theatre stage.

Kafka's story is not everyone's cup of tea. You make of it what you will and devotees will love it … the Queen's intimate Studio@QT was ideal and practically full for both performances, audiences totally absorbed. They say the more times you read Kafka's story the clearer it becomes. But first timers can be forgiven for thinking: "What's it all about?".

Joseph K (a fine, convincing performance from Simon Wegrzyn) wakes up one morning to find he's been arrested for no apparent reason and becomes embroiled in a weird judicial system which provides no answers just a constant bombardment of accusations and threats. Are they true or false? The Inspector, two thuggish henchmen, his landlady, lawyer, a mistress and a court painter all seem to know but Joseph can't find out.

Each cameo was wonderfully played and helped to crank up the tension and intrigue in Berkoff's masterly adaptation. The audience can draw from their own experiences and relate to the story and anyone who has been involved in the legal system for whatever reason will probably have the best idea … why "they" seem to tell you very little, why the process seems to take an eternity, why it's so costly. Me, I thought about greedy bankers and the Euro debt crisis, don't know why ...

Derek Elwood's enigmatic Inspector was sinister and credible, his portrayal as the defence lawyer Huld fascinating. Nadia Morgan had the talent and ability to play five parts in the same red, white and black costume creating a convincing completely different believable character each time. But it was a real team effort which provided the energy for an absorbing piece of theatre.