Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall Review
Written by Liam Arnold for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
If you’re looking for the most theatrical of Christie experiences, there's Witness for the Prosecution– still going strong after 2,700 performances. Not because it’s flashy or modernised (it’s not), but because it knows exactly what it is: a brilliantly old-fashioned, twist-filled courtroom drama. And the kicker? You’re watching it in the grand surroundings of London’s County Hall.
Yes, that County Hall – the one by the Thames, once the political HQ of London. These days it stands in as a dead ringer for the Old Bailey, and it’s honestly one of the most impressive venues you’ll ever sit in for a show. The red leather benches, high ceilings, marble columns – it’s got serious gravitas. And crucially, it’s not just a gimmick. The setting is so integral to the production, you start to forget you’re watching a play at all and feel like you’re part of the trial. Some audience members even sit in the jury box and cast the verdict.
The story, adapted by Christie herself from her short story Traitor’s Hands, is pure golden-age murder mystery. Leonard Vole – all cheekbones and charm – is accused of murdering a rich older woman who conveniently left him her fortune. His German wife Romaine (Lara Lemon) could save him with an alibi... but instead, she becomes a witness for the prosecution. And from there, things get twistier than a corkscrew.
What’s impressive is how well the play holds up. First performed in 1953, the script has that clipped, upper-crust tone you’d expect, but Lucy Bailey’s production keeps it tight and atmospheric. The courtroom scenes are the clear standout – full of drama, ego, and wigs – with rival barristers swishing their robes and making theatrical flourishes like they’re playing to the gods (which, in fairness, they kind of are). The legal system, Christie reminds us, is a stage in its own right – and every witness has their part to play.
Charlie Preston (in his debut) plays Vole with the kind of puppyish charm that keeps you guessing – you want to believe him, even when the facts say otherwise. Madeleine Walker is wonderfully slippery as Romaine, striding into court in a black beret and scattering suspicion like cigarette ash. Roger May and Tom Godwin are particularly enjoyable as the rival QCs, all arched eyebrows and aristocratic disdain, while Caroline Gurthrie delivers a brilliantly no-nonsense performance as Miss French’s housekeeper.
William Dudley (in a minimal but striking design uses the natural gravitas of the chamber to great effect – you don’t need elaborate sets when the walls already look like they’ve sentenced people to death. Chris Davey’s moody lighting and Mic Pool’s sound design pile on the tension, with gasps and echoes and ominous rumbles at just the right moments. Sure, the scene changes outside the courtroom feel a bit slow, but these are minor complaints.
And then, of course, there’s the twist. Or rather, twists. Christie may have created recognisable character types – the guileless young man, the mysterious foreigner, the moralising matron – but she plays us like a fiddle. Just when you think you’ve cracked it, she yanks the rug out from under you. Again. And again. It’s gloriously manipulative, and still genuinely shocking, even if you’ve seen a few Christies in your time.
What makes this production such a hit – and why it’s lasted so long – is that it doesn’t try to modernise Christie or make her gritty. Instead, it leans into the theatricality, the style, and the cleverness of the writing, and lets the setting do the rest. It’s classy without being stuffy, gripping without needing gore, and perfectly pitched between old-school charm and edge-of-your-seat drama.
So is it worth seeing? Absolutely. Even if you think you’ve had your fill of Christie, this one has a little something extra. The mystery isn’t just in who did it – it’s in how this seemingly old-fashioned play manages to feel so fresh and exciting. It might not be revolutionary theatre, but it’s a masterclass in storytelling. And let’s be honest – it’s also just bloody good fun.
A deliciously immersive whodunit in a jaw-dropping venue, performed with style and suspense. The Queen of Crime reigns supreme.
Witness for the Prosecution is currently playing at London County Hall.
★★★★
