3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Lord's Last Bow....?, January 30, 2002
This review is from: The Accused (Methuen Modern Plays) (Paperback)
Jeffrey Archer is world known for his bestsellers Kane and Abel, Shall We Tell the President and First Among Equals. This is his second foray into courtroom fiction; almost a decade and- a half after his first play, Beyond Reasonable Doubt premiered. As with any other courtroom drama comparisons with Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution is inevitable, and Archer's play proves itself a serious and an enjoyable spoof of the Christie work.
Doctor Sherwood stands accused of murder of his wife. He has a strong alibi, but a woman who claims to be his former mistress offers evidence that no one, other than the doctor himself could have murdered the victim. Her testimony is convincing in part and filled with loopholes in another. And it is up to the reader/ audience to decide the fate of the accused. Once the decision is made, the play continues, (with one of the either two ends based on the jury decision), with an expected `twist in the tale' finish.
The master storyteller he is, Archer also has proved to be a good dramatist, and the audience/ reader will enjoy the role of the juror while seeing/reading the play. The dialogues are crisp and funny, and especially enjoyable are the occasional digs the opposing lawyers take at one another.
That Archer himself played the role of the accused doctor is interesting- In Archer's life the line between fact and fiction has always been blurred, as Michael Crick puts in his unauthorized biography of Archer, Stranger than Fiction. In July this year, Lord Archer was found guilty of perjury and for perverting the course of justice by a jury of 11. Justice Potts while sentencing Archer to 4 years imprisonment described it as `one of the worst cases in British Criminal history'. Archer's drama premiered soon after he was accused, and more often than not the audience, I believe used to judge Archer the man, rather than the doctor- character, while acting as the jury. This of course, has made the drama a crowd puller, but the question remains, would the drama have enjoyed such a run, if Archer himself had not played the role of the accused.
Archer's greatest skill was his ability to turn misfortune to his own advantage, and now when he battles with the biggest fall of his life, will the master storyteller be able to strike back, or was it the Lord's last bow...?
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable Suspense drama- but is it the Lord's Last Bow..?, January 27, 2002
This review is from: The Accused (Methuen Modern Plays) (Paperback)
Jeffrey Archer's latest play The Accused is a suspense courtroom drama with a difference. The audience will act as the jury and decide the fate of the accused.
Jeffrey Archer is world known for his bestsellers Kane and Abel, Shall We Tell the President and First Among Equals. This is his second foray into courtroom fiction; almost a decade and- a half after his first play, Beyond Reasonable Doubt premiered. As with any other courtroom drama comparisons with Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution is inevitable, and Archer's play proves itself a serious and an enjoyable spoof of the Christie work.
Doctor Sherwood stands accused of murder of his wife. He has a strong alibi, but a woman who claims to be his former mistress offers evidence that no one, other than the doctor himself could have murdered the victim. Her testimony is convincing in part and filled with loopholes in another. And it is up to the reader/ audience to decide the fate of the accused. Once the decision is made, the play continues, (with one of the either two ends based on the jury decision), with an expected `twist in the tale' finish.
The master storyteller he is, Archer also has proved to be a good dramatist, and the audience/ reader will enjoy the role of the juror while seeing/reading the play. The dialogues are crisp and funny, and especially enjoyable are the occasional digs the opposing lawyers take at one another.
That Archer himself played the role of the accused doctor is interesting- In Archer's life the line between fact and fiction has always been blurred, as Michael Crick puts in his unauthorized biography of Archer, Stranger than Fiction. In July this year, Lord Archer was found guilty of perjury and for perverting the course of justice by a jury of 11. Justice Potts while sentencing Archer to 4 years imprisonment described it as `one of the worst cases in British Criminal history'. Archer's drama premiered soon after he was accused, and more often than not the audience, I believe used to judge Archer the man, rather than the doctor- character, while acting as the jury. This of course, has made the drama a crowd puller, but the question remains, would the drama have enjoyed such a run, if Archer himself had not played the role of the accused.
Archer's greatest skill was his ability to turn misfortune to his own advantage, and now when he battles with the biggest fall of his life, will the master storyteller be able to strike back, or was it the Lord's last bow...?
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