Someone to Blame at the King’s Head dramatises the case of Sam Hallam, who has been in prison for seven years on the count of murder. Hallam and his lawyer, friends and family all claim that he has been wrongly convicted.
The script recalls – often word for word – police interviews, witness statements and court transcripts. From the point of view of dramaturgy, the detail and repetition this entails brings a certain degree of tedium to the production.
However, it is clear that the longevity and frustration of the legal proceedings are an attempt to reflect the endurance of Hallam’s family and friends. One can hardly complain of tiredness throughout a two-hour production when this has been the reality of a young man’s family for the past seven years. And in terms of transparency it is crucial that playwright Tess Berry-Hart included as much as possible when writing the play.
Towards the end of the production, Hallam’s lawyer Paul May urges us to support the campaign, because if we don’t, how can we prevent other miscarriages of justice from happening? The message of Someone to Blame – and indeed the Sam Hallam Campaign – is that a miscarriage of justice can happen to anyone, and this is reflected in the complete breakdown of the fourth wall. The actors use direct address and duck into nooks and crannies among the audience from where they project their statements. One row of the audience even sits onstage, under scrutiny from the rest of us. And other than Robin Crouch, who plays the part of Hallam, and Keith Hill as May, the cast engage in ensemble performance, each actor playing many roles, to convey the universality of the situation.
Such performance requires immaculate character interpretation and timing – which all of the actors achieve to perfection. Someone to Blame is an excellent piece of political drama which can hope to promote a worthy campaign – just in time for Hallam’s appeal in May.
Someone to Blame is at the King’s Head theatre on Upper Street, Islington. It runs until 31 March. Tickets and prices available here.
