The Court 1
★★☆☆☆ Needs polish
Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge (Venue 7): Fri 7 – Sun 30 Aug 2026
Review by Flora Henderson
Edinburgh Little Theatre’s The Court 1, at Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge for the whole Fringe, is an interactive legal drama in which the audience decides the verdict.
The venue certainly looks the part, as the piece is performed in the Committee Room which has the appropriate courtroom atmosphere. The audience is included in the action from the beginning, as the court usher (Derek Douglas) asks for volunteers to make up the jury.
The Court 1 – Cast. Pic: Edinburgh Little Theatre.
After a short brief from Douglas on how the performance is going to work, the rest of the cast arrive and the court is in session. Alan Ireby is convincingly stern as the judge, commanding the proceedings with a calm yet undeniable authority.
When informing the court that the jury will be able to cross-examine the witnesses, Ireby draws attention to the fact that this is not common practice in a court of law, encouraging the audience to suspend disbelief and not be overly pedantic about the legal accuracy. This disclaimer is certainly necessary as there are many discrepancies throughout the performance that would not hold up in a genuine court of law.
In opening statements from the prosecution (Paul Wilson) and defence (Sandy Jack), the two sides of the argument are laid out: did Cathy McDonald murder her mother in cold blood, or was it a mercy killing designed to alleviate her mother’s suffering in the final stages of terminal cancer?
a certain level of gravitas
Both Wilson and Jack bring a certain level of gravitas to their roles, achieving the necessary grounding required when dealing with a case of such a difficult nature. However, the language is at times too informal, detracting from their credibility as legal professionals.
First to be brought to the stand is the defendant’s sister, Mary (Norma Brown), who is acting on behalf of the prosecution. Brown is disappointing in the role, with stilted gestures and unembodied passion making her heightened emotion unbelievable.
Next the accused, Cathy (Zoe McCrae), pleads her case. McCrae is more successful, displaying the most authentic emotional connection to her part. However, at times her performance lacks light and shade, and she does not always stay immersed in the role in the moments when she isn’t speaking.
After the summing up, the jury is then left alone with Douglas to discuss what they have just seen, before the witnesses are brought back to be interrogated. Unfortunately, it becomes painfully obvious during the following improvisation that several elements of the case have not been thought through thoroughly.
repetitive
The audience members, acting as the jury, ask poignant and insightful questions, and are met with repetitive and unsatisfying answers that do little to enlighten them. Inconsistencies in the story are highlighted throughout this cross-examination, and the jury is left even more divided than before.
The story concludes with the jury giving their non-unanimous verdict, and the case is closed. The decision of the judge is final, and no further information regarding the truth (or otherwise) of the witnesses’ statements is revealed. Whilst this could be unsatisfactory, it is not necessarily a flaw as it provokes reflection in the audience rather than providing them with a black-and-white answer.
Overall, although an interesting concept, the piece lacks refinement, something which is surprising as it is now in its third year. The cast fail to answer the jury’s questions, there is insufficient evidence to support the case, and the performers often lack energy, especially when improvising.
Running time: One hour (no interval).
Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge (Committee Room), 96 George Street EH2 3DH (Venue 7).
Friday 7 – Sunday 30 August 2026.
Daily: 7.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
ENDS
