Witness for the Prosecution

Witness for the Prosecution

The Carlton Players

Little Theatre Birkenhead

3rd June 2026

 

Witness for the Prosecution is highly acclaimed because it flawlessly combines Agatha Christie’s legendary, twist-heavy storytelling with a brilliant character study. Audiences and critics consistently praise it for its sharp dialogue, intense suspense, and unpredictable plot. Agatha Christie reportedly called it her favourite screen adaptation of her work.

Leonard Vole (J.D. Justice) is an unemployed inventor, his latest invention being a new-fangled cat brush. He is married but through a chance encounter, became friendly with a rich widow, Emily French. When Vole is accused of her murder, his solicitor Mr Mayhew (Mike Hunter) refers the case to a brilliant barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Gareth Crawshaw) to lead the defence. Robarts believes his client to be innocent but his alibi rests on the testimony of Vole's wife, Romaine (Charlotte Holguin). As the jury would expect a wife to defend her husband, he decides not to call her as a witness. The prosecution barrister Mr Myers (Adam Dunlop) calls Janet MacKenzie (Linda O’Brien), Miss French’s long serving and loyal housekeeper, who claims to have heard Vole in conversation with her employer the evening of the murder.  Sir Wilfred is shocked however when Romaine is called as a witness for the prosecution, her testimony does not as was previously thought  provide an alibi for her husband.

All seems lost as the defence concludes its case. However a late-night visit from a facially scared woman, reveals new evidence that Romaine Vole wrote letters to her lover named Max about purposely denying Leonard an alibi to get her freedom. The woman demands payment for the letters; after reading them, Robarts and Mayhew pay her, before they can get an address she vanishes. Robarts insist they recall Romaine to the stand. However. there is a far more devious plot being hatched, one that even the great Sir Wilfred Robarts cannot fathom.

All is revealed in the last dramatic court scene, as Romaine admits to deliberately sabotaging her own testimony with the letters, to get her guilty husband (who Romaine admits is not her husband, as she was already married when she met Vole) freed. This evidence changes the jury's opinion and Leonard is acquitted. But in the penultimate twist, Leonard shows his true self and reveals his intention to leave his "wife" for a younger woman Romaine seizes the knife used as evidence for Vole's bloody jacket and, in full view of Sir Wilfred, and the other woman (Gabriela Hyde), stabs Leonard, killing him.

Witness for the Prosecution proved to be a thoroughly entertaining production from The Carlton Players. The company captured the tension, intrigue of the courtroom drama, keeping the audience engaged from the opening scene through to its famous final revelations. Strong direction thanks to Marc Smith & Fiona Williams, staging and period-appropriate costumes combined to create an authentic setting. Powerful performance from Charlotte Holguin, Linda O’Brien, Gareth Crawshaw. Above all we all know a production is more than the principal players, the commitment and talent displayed across the entire company ensured that this classic thriller retained all of its power and surprise, resulting in a splendid evening of live theatre. Well done to all concerned.

Joanne Rymer

NODA

District 4.

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