Mixed feelings about double bill

5:05pm Thursday 15th November 2007

The first of John Mortimer's stories in his comedy double-bill Legal Fictions at Richmond Theatre this week was full of irony and humour, but the second fell short of the mark.

Even the impressive cast of Edward Fox, Nicholas Woodeson and Polly Adams could not save the day with Edwin, in which Mortimer's script and Christopher Morahan's direction failed to provide sufficient emotion, tension or credibility.

Retired high court judge Sir Fennimore Truscott (Fox) cannot break the habit of trying people - in his imagination.

And, when his suspicious mind examines the friendship of his wife (Adams) with the next-door neighbour (Woodeson), he opens up a can of worms.

There are some amusing moments but, unfortunately, there is insufficient depth of feeling provided by any of the characters - and, if they don't care enough about the revelations concerning the father of the wife's child, why should the audience?

But Mortimer, the writer of Rumpole of the Bailey, is in his element when using his insider knowledge to great effect in The Dock Brief.

An incompetent barrister, Morganhall (Fox) is asked to represent the lugubrious Mr Fowle (Woodeson), who confesses to murdering his jovial wife. Although the two of them rehearse a stout defence in the cell, when they reach the courtroom everything goes horribly wrong.

It was hilarious to hear a prisoner whose life is at stake having to ignore his own fears to comfort his self-centred imbecile of a barrister.

Fox, the star of many films including The Day of the Jackal, A Bridge Too Far and Gandhi, was more convincing as the barrister than as the retired judge in the second play. And Woodeson made an excellent prisoner.

Both plays were originally performed on radio, with the enjoyable The Dock Brief winning the Italia prize. But Edwin gets no prizes from me!

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