The Fear Of 13
21 November 2024
Donmar Warehouse
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
The Fear Of 13, at the Donmar Warehouse, dramatises the extraordinary true story of Nick Yarris, who spent 22 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. Based on the 2015 documentary film of the same name, the play tackles the story from Nick’s perspective.
The small stage is extremely well used, with a tiled catwalk stretching between the first few rows of the auditorium, encasing stage-side seating that gives an immersive view of the story. The stage itself is also wrapped in white tile, positioned in front of a wall with large mirrors that change to windows giving a glimpse into a variety of other locations throughout.
A young prison volunteer, Jackie played by Nana Mensah, meets Nick, played by Adrien Brody, on death row, conducting interviews and slowly uncovering his story of a troubled teen becoming a convicted murderer who protests his innocence. When she realises he was convicted with no evidence at all, she starts to fight for DNA evidence to be tested through new technology in the hopes of proving his innocence, but this proves difficult as autopsy evidence was destroyed, material gets lost in the mail, and the authorities push back against further steps to establish who was actually guilty of the crime.
The story is slowly laid out through Nick’s words and gripping re-enactment of Nick’s past. Brody is dynamic and surprisingly funny despite the heavy topic of the story of wrongful conviction, state violence, and the desperation of seeing ones life tick away on death row. The story is expertly told from Nick’s perspective, with Jackie a vehicle for further exploration of the circumstances and difficulties with fighting a wrongful conviction when DNA evidence is hard to come by. Nick Yarris’s story comes to life vibrantly, building a captivating arch aided by dynamic lighting and a stunning ballet of well choreographed movement. The depth of emotion captured by Brody on this tiny stage is heartbreaking and deeply touching, a stunning example of how theatre can be a vehicle that brings lived stories to life expertly. And a poignant tale of why the justice system in many Western countries needs an overhaul to avoid wrongful convictions based on circumstantial evidence alone.
