• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Culture / Theatre / London Theatre: Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall – Review

London Theatre: Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall – Review

Jan 26, 2018 By Jonathan

Credit : Sheila Burnett

One of the best parts of visiting London is going to the theatre, and on a recent trip, we got to have a very different theatre experience in a very special place. I’m not a huge Agatha Christie fan, but when it was announced that there would be a special production of Witness for the Prosecution in the former London County Hall, I knew I would have to try and go the next time I was in London. And we did, and it was fabulous.

First some context. London County Hall is on the Southbank, almost directly across from the Houses of Parliament. From 1922 until 1986, it was the seat of London government.  First with the London County Council (LCC) and later the Greater London Council (GLC), which was abolished in 1986 in an act of political retribution by the Thatcher government (you can read more about this here). Since the GLC was abolished, the building was sold off and has been turned into hotels and various other entertainment destinations (like the London Aquarium).

But the former debating chamber of the GLC has been left untouched. It’s a protected monument, and there’s not much the new owners can do with the space. It’s a beautiful space, designed to be a working debating chamber and it’s rarely ever open to the public. The owners of the building recently found a good use for the space, as a stage. Witness for the Prosecution is a unique play – since most of it takes place in a courtroom, the County Hall debating chamber is perfect to act as a stage for a courtroom since the seating and the layout of the space are a bit like a courtroom. The play opened last autumn to rave reviews.

I’m a bit of an architecture nerd, and I have wanted to see the GLC debating chamber for a number of years. Honestly, I was a little more excited about seeing the chamber than seeing the play! Thankfully, both were amazing.

We started the evening with a lovely dinner at Burger and Lobster, a trendy new restaurant chain that serves only two things: hamburgers and lobsters. It’s a restaurant designed to appeal to Mrs. Anglotopia and I (she for the lobster, me for the burger). After dinner, we took a taxi to the dreaded place that taxi drivers generally don’t want to go: SOUTH OF THE RIVER. It wasn’t a busy night, and traffic wasn’t a problem at all. The Taxi dropped us off at a courtyard that leads right to the door of County Hall.

Credit : Sheila Burnett

When you’re up close to County Hall, it strikes you as massive. It’s definitely a stately building and it was very much a suitable place to run the capital of the former British Empire from. It’s a shame it’s no longer used for its purpose (London was given a mayor again in 2000 along with a new government structure).

We picked up our tickets at Will Call and were led to our seats. What a treat they were! Your actual seats are the same seats where the politicians used to sit. Each seat turns into a little desk. The pads there are signed by the former occupants of the seats. The chamber was pretty dimly lit to provide an atmosphere for the play. But my what a treat it was to finally be inside the chamber itself. Attendants were encouraged to take pictures, and I took a ton – who knows when I will be able to go into the room again.

What’s the play about? One of Christie’s best – Leonard Vole is accused of murdering a widow to inherit her wealth. The stakes are high – will Leonard survive the shocking witness testimony, will he be able to convince the jury, and you of his innocence and escape the hangman’s noose?

The atmosphere in the chamber was perfect for a play primarily set at a trial. The director has made excellent use of the space with the doors all around the chamber opening and closing for entries and exits. The cast was amazing. One innovative element is that there are special jury box seats and the audience members are sworn in as the jury (and instructed to give the right verdict). The plot was engaging; I’d never seen any adaptation of this play, so I had no idea what to expect. There were certainly lots of twists and turns (I wouldn’t expect anything less from Christie).

Here’s a gallery of some of the pictures I took myself:

We really enjoyed our evening out and can’t recommend going to see this play in it unique location more highly. Witness for the Prosecution is currently booking at London County Hall until 16 September 2018. See the website for more information. www.witnesscountyhall.com. To get there you can take the Tube to Westminster and walk across Westminster Bridge or take the tube to Waterloo, which is nearby. The immediate area around County Hall is full of hotels and restaurants, so it’s not a bad area by any means. You shouldn’t have any problems finding a taxi.

You can book tickets directly through us here.

jonathan
Author: jonathan

Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, Theatre

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About jonathan

Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London
  • Ten Social Media Accounts to Follow for Londonphiles
  • New Royal Academy Exhibition: Treasures from Spain and the Hispanic World
  • Pollock’s Toy Museum in London Has Closed Unexpectedly
  • The Fiver:  Five Live-Action Children’s Shows Set in London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in