REVIEW: To Kill a Mockingbird

By Paul Bromley, volunteer theatre reviewer

Like many thousands, if not millions, of other people, To Kill a Mockingbird was one of my school set texts. 

Despite analysing and dissecting every line, it is also one of the few books which I was compelled to read as a child that I have voluntarily re-read as an adult. Such is the enduring appeal of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel set amid racial tensions in Alabama in 1934. 

So I was intrigued how it would work as a stage play, particularly given the tendency of screenwriter and playwright Aaron Sorkin to use his TV dramas (The West Wing, The Newsroom etc) as a vehicle for espousing his well-known liberal views via extended monologues from his principal characters. 

I was pleasantly surprised therefore to find that the portrayal of lawyer Atticus Finch (Richard Coyle reprising his role from the West End run) is more nuanced than most depictions. Yes, he is the moral force for good in the racially divided town and an example to his children to treat everyone with respect, but he is also a man whose beliefs can be – and are – challenged. 

And that brings me on to two other surprising aspects of this production. Instead of the story being told by the single narrator of the book Scout Finch (Anna Munden), the perspective of children trying to make sense of, and navigate their way through, the adult world is widened with Scout, her brother Jem (Gabriel Scott) and friend Dill Harris (Dylan Malyn) all sharing the narrative.  

There is a lot of humour, particularly from Dill, which helps to relieve the tension from the main plot of Atticus defending in court the black man Tom Robinson (Aaron Shosanya) who is falsely accused of raping a white girl Mayella Ewell (Evie Hargreaves). 

This interaction between the children comes to the fore during the trial scenes when the actors move around the courtroom to not only observe the proceedings but also provide their more innocent viewpoint on developments. 

It gives the audience a dual perspective: watching the actors on stage while simultaneously viewing the unfolding trial through the eyes of the children. It was just one of the ways in which this play successfully transitioned from page to stage. 

The other enhancement on the book is a much bigger role for the black characters, particularly the Finches housekeeper Calpurnia (Andrea Davy). She questions Atticus on whether it is right to treat the white girl’s father Bob Ewell (Oscar Pearce) with respect and later conveys the anger of the black community towards Atticus over whether they should be grateful for his taking the case. 

A compelling courtroom drama and classic coming-of-age journey

The courtroom scenes are interspersed with the events leading up to the trial which works well as a narrative device rather than following a strict chronological timeline. The placing of the witness chair centre stage focuses all the attention on the testimony, whether that is the squirming and wriggling of Mayella Ewell or the mostly calm and measured responses from Tom Robinson. 

The set design works seamlessly with elements of the Finches house and the courtroom being wheeled or lowered onto stage. There’s never a moment when the play is held up by changing scenery. 

Overall, this is a brilliant production and Eastbourne is fortunate that such a high-class and award-winning show has come to town. The standing ovation at the end was more than deserved.

To Kill a Mockingbird combines a compelling courtroom drama with a classic coming-of-age journey. 

:: To Kill a Mockingbird runs at the Congress Theatre until Saturday 6 December. Tickets available here 

:: Paul Bromley is a qualified journalist and broadcaster who worked for 40 years for regional newspapers, the Press Association and Sky News. He now works in community rail. He is a volunteer writer with Eastbourne Reporter