Review: 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

 by Cecilia Cameron

Jude Owusu in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' 

I am sure many of you have read To Kill a Mockingbird, whether it was years ago or as recently as I have. It is a very important milestone regarding the progression of the way literature portrays racism and the many issues of the 1930s. It is set in a Southern fictional, but reflective, town called Maycomb and is narrated by a young girl called Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. The story follows her father, Atticus Finch (Rafe Spall), and the time surrounding the court case in which he is defending Tom Robinson (Jude Owusu), a black man whom is wrongly accused of rape. Cases like this would have been common around America at this time and the outcome would often be the same. 

I thought the production was incredible. There were musicians positioned at the side of the stage to set the scene. While the book is purely from the perspective of Scout (played by Gwyneth Keyworth), the play is also narrated by Jem Finch (Harry Redding) and Dill (David Moorst). This gives you a more varied point of view and a better idea of the group’s playful dynamic; more so than you get from the book. The play was very well adapted and included all of the key elements of the book and more. A particularly effective device used was the fact that, throughout the play, it switched between the real timeline and the court case. The change of scene came at precise moments when a piece of information from the courtroom became relevant to the time before the court case or the other way around. This gave you a better idea of how certain events were connected to what was being said in court. I loved the way this tied everything together and it reminded me of the way Little Women (the book) is in consecutive order, but the film related past to present.

Something else stood out to me about the differences between the play and the book. As the book is narrated by Scout, who is 6-9 years old while telling the story, you can't really see the full picture of what is going on outside of her circle of relationships. However, in the play, there is a more evident undertone of anger and sadness at the injustice surrounding the case of Tom Robinson, especially from Calpurnia. In the book, you see Atticus as a peace-loving hero who does the best he can for those around him, despite their race or gender. In the play, it is quite different. Atticus’ approach almost looks cowardly as he doesn't stand up for himself or his beliefs against those like Bob Ewell, who threaten and insult him and those around him constantly. He refuses to be forceful, even when his children and client, Mr Robinson, are in danger. The playwright has also used Calpurnia as a tool to show the power of the black community and the fact that they are willing to be more forceful for change. She shows Atticus what is really necessary and what his methods of treating people are actually doing; nothing other than hurting her and other members of the black community in Maycomb. 

 I was very lucky to see this play and it was one of the best I've seen; it has had incredible reviews all round. The brilliance of the story and the acting may be the reason it is, at the moment, the most expensive top-price play ticket, but I still don't think it really adds up. This play has such an important message, one that is all the more powerful when displayed visually, but isn't accessible to those who need to hear it most. It shows an important part of history that we can’t ignore. We need to build on what we see and know about the past and use it to fuel the future. We need to understand where things go wrong so we can ensure they don't happen again. I don’t think this play should be as expensive as it is, not because of the quality of it, but because we all need to hear and see the message it has to offer. It is relevant to us all.