Dominic Corr posted: " Written by James Graham Directed by Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen Tickets from £13.00 ★★★★ An open and shut case. We've seen the tapes, watched the footage, read the papers and most importantly - we've heard the coughing. Articulati" Corr Blimey
We've seen the tapes, watched the footage, read the papers and most importantly - we've heard the coughing. Articulating two sides of an argument many considered answer, James Graham's Quiz pries open the case of the UK's most infamous quiz-show scandal: The Coughing Major.
The dramatisation of a trial is far from a unique concept, particularly those of famous individuals. But in lifting the court-room drama into a more energetic and entertaining manner, Graham pushes audiences even closer into the hot seat of the case which gripped the nation's adoration of quizzes and gameshows to new heights; three people convicted in attempting to defraud the makers of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? And for those suspecting this may just be a semi-biographical retelling or a vehicle for Rory Bremner's spotless Chris Tarrant impression, they couldn't be more wrong.
An insightfully articulate, even surprisingly so, jab at popular culture, speculative justice, and the vulturous nature of the media, Quiz spends more time out of the studio than it does on the set of the award-winning hit show. Its principal thread initially seems obvious, to follow Lewis Reeves' quaintly charming, even unassuming Charles Ingram – the man who, it is believed, cheated his way to a million pounds with the help of his wife Diane and a fellow contestant Tecwen Whittock. But Graham's subversion of the expectation, shifting the dynamic and intense lighting (Ryan Day perfectly capturing the show spotlight fetish) into the restrictive coldness of the courtroom and shifts the production into a cannier reflection on our quiz and drama-obsessed state of being and the possibilities that these people may well have been scapegoated to same some studio execs.
The acts follow the prosecution and then the defence, replaying elements of the same narrative, but from new viewpoints and angles. It's a strong testament to Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen's direction that it maintains so much intense momentum. It's initially plain to see how they cheated. But come the second act? Well. We'll come to that. Reeve's Ingram is a perfectly pitched, often comedic, patsy for the audience – while Emmerdale's Charley Webb makes for an endearing Diane in their stage debut.
And where Bremner's Tarrant is the draw for some, it's other comedy and performance maestro Mark Benton who turns in a cracking performance as a series of additional roles throughout the Ingram's life. From the Judge of the case to the leading of a secret syndicate of game-show sleuths and vigilantes, Benton soaks up the spotlight and keeps the courtroom drama from fading too heavily into the morose of fact-driven. The ensemble cast often commands the stage's humour; Marc Antolin, Sukh Ojla, and Leo Wringer round out the show with various inventive, interesting (if occasionally) over-the-top roles.
And that's certainly not to discredit the intricacy of the production, which goes above and beyond a documentary style, offering accuracy and flood of details from both the prosecution and defence. While the Ingram's defence lawyer brings a touch more of the melodramatic: forgiven for ramping emotion towards a tense climax which finds the finger of fate – not in the judge's hand, but somewhere else. An explosive kaleidoscope of colour, the clever set design whisks between the Ingram's home, the pub, the ITV studio, and the court in quick succession – almost too quickly as the lines occasionally blur while the various characters, Tarrant included, fill in background roles in the courtroom viewing gallery.
The police aren't alone in the guesswork, no-no, the audience has a part to play here. Small answering pad devices which, supposedly, link up to the video projection and allow for the audience to answer questions throughout the show. A nifty gimmick, its implementation is so seldom utilised that it seems a shame, the final use so spaced out from the previous that audience members have already tucked it away. But its presence solidifies the chief enjoyment factor of Quiz – it's a communal show that bubbles over at the interval and out into the street nattering about the trial, the coughs, the show and now - the stage adaptation.
With verve and a tenacious script that seeks to poke even a little light into what was often thought a long-decided case, Graham's Quiz challenges our obsessive bloodthirst for drama and trial-by-media but does so in such a richly entertaining and engaging manner. It frequently dances a thin line between a courtroom drama and the glitz of show business – but happily, and cunningly exposes the underbelly of both.
Articulate Verve
Quiz runs at the King's Theatre, Glasgow until October 14th. Tuesday - Saturday at 14.30pm. Matinees on Saturday at 14.30pm. Photo credit - Johan Persson
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