An Interrogation
19 February 2025
Hampstead Theatre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
An Interrogation had a recent run at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, the smaller space in the North London venue. Inspired by real events, this criminal thriller is set entirely in an interrogation room at a police station. Young detective Ruth Palmer interviews a suspect after a second woman in the area has gone missing 68 hours prior. Cameron Andrews is a successful business man, respected in the community, and cares for his mother who he visits most nights to share dinner with. The first woman who was found deceased days after going missing was one his employees, but is he connected to the second woman’s disappearance as well? Is she still alive? Can the detective unravel his secrets before it’s too late?
The set is simple yet effective, a small table and a few chairs in an undecorated room, a large mirror behind the two, used to project different angles and close-ups of Ruth and Cameron as they try to manipulate each other throughout the interrogation. Based on the widely known case of Russell Williams, whose intense interrogation video was released to the public over a decade ago, Jamie Armitage developed a script that added focus on women’s struggles in the police force by creating Ruth as the interviewer. With the addition of cameras and video, it’s a startling experience that transports the audience into the confined space of an interrogation room, following the converging power dynamics of detective and suspect fully immersed in the storyline. Creating a female police officer who has a rich backstory and well developed character that brings focus on women in law enforcement and their position and barriers within the force as well as perceived dynamics with male suspects. It’s a brilliantly tense story that is exceedingly well presented, with subtle changes in mood, energy, and dynamics palpably changing throughout the tight hour and 15 minute show. A delight for those who enjoy crime thrillers.
