Presented by plAyground Studio and Echo presents
in association with Louise Chantal Productions
‘Director Lisa Forrell keeps everything spinning suspensefully & I can already envisage a Hollywood film' The Evening Standard
'It’s a visceral life-force of a performance from the quixotic Gage' The Evening Standard
‘A short, sharp, thoughtful evening in the West End´s most modestly priced theatre’ ThE Times
'Ryan Gage excels, displaying a wonderful mix of malevolence and earnestness' Whatsonstage
'With a story full of surprises and a superb cast, American Justice is not to be missed' West End Frame
'an efficient psychological thriller that grips throughout' The Telegraph
'the play never relaxes its hold in Lisa Forrell’s sharp production' The Telegraph
'Ryan Gage brings both disconcerting menace and moments of poignancy' The Telegraph
'Peter Tate captures the moral ambiguity of the Congressman, whose motives may not be quite as noble as they seem' The Telegraph
WINNER Audience Favourite Award and Best Production Award, 24.7 Theatre Festival, Manchester
WINNER Best Fringe Production, NOMINATED Best New Play and Best Performance, Manchester Evening News Awards
Synopsis:
As Barack Obama sweeps to power, John Daniels
(Peter Tate) is elected to Congress. The fulfilment of this political ambition is marred by personal tragedy when
his only daughter is murdered in a random shooting
by a feral, illiterate thug, Lee Fenton (Ryan Gage).
Fenton is sentenced to death when Daniels, in an apparent act of altruism and Christian forgiveness,
appeals for clemency on the condition that he be allowed to educate the boy himself. The sympathetic court agrees, despite the objections of the prisoner and the hard-line prison Warden (David Schaal). As we progress through to Obama’s re-election in 2012, Fenton learns both to read and to question his teacher’s motives. When Obama's second term draws to a close, the Congressman's real motive is revealed and the convict makes a startling revelation of his own.
Community and young people's tickets
We believe that theatre should inform and reflect real lives and American Justice is an opportunity to discuss the big themes of restorative justice with a diverse audience.
Through generous donations, and a portion of the tickets being set aside by the producing team, we have issued tickets across the run to people who may not have had the opportunity to see the show otherwise.
We have worked with our contacts in the outreach departments of organisations including The Young Vic, Soho, Roundhouse and the National Theatre plus young peoples organisations The Challenge, Islington Community Theatre and a number of youth groups to issue tickets to young people aged 16+ from across London. We have also worked with organisations including synergy Theatre, Only Connect, St Mungos and Clean Break to give the tickets to people who have been affected by the prison system, rehabilitation programmes and homelessness.
So far their reaction to the show has been overwhelmingly positive and our "West End" audience has been uniquely vibrant and diverse as a result of this initiative.
If you would be interested in donating towards this initiative please email gabby@echopresents.com
American Justice by Richard Vergette
Director: Lisa Forrell
Design: Signe Beckmann
Lighting: Colin Grenfell
Sound: Tom Lishman
with Ryan Gage, David Schaal and Peter Tate
Mon-Sat 7.30pm and Sat 4pm
(mats from 19th January)
Previews 10th - 14th January at 7.30pm
The Arts Theatre,
Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JB
Box Office: 020 7836 8463
Tickets £22.50 (concs £17.50).
Previews and Monday nights all seats £17.50
Design by 7Grafiks | Photography by Robbie Jack - www.robbiejack.com