Review by Ruth Adjei

Witness for the Prosecution, Agatha Christie's award winning drama, showed at the Efua T Sutherland Drama Studia of the University of Ghana from 9th - 12th October and 16th - 17th October 2008.

The play was staged as part of the 60th Anniversary celebrations of the University of Ghana and was directed by Prof. Martin Owusu.

Witness for the Prosecution centres on a court case in which a woman, Mrs Romaine Vole is called as a witness for the prosecution: her husband, Leonard Vole, stands accused of murder. A rich widow, Emily French had been murdered under circumstances that incriminated Mr Vole.

When Sir Wilfred Roberts interviewed Mrs Vole, it was expected that Mrs Vole would provide an alibi for her husband. Instead, she appeared in court to testify against her husband.

The play worked up from a slow start to a series of shocks, building up to a shattering crescendo when Mrs Romaine Vole inflicts the ultimate punishment on Leonard Vole and declares herself "Guilty, my Lord".

In a story of many twists and turns and more than its fair share of surprises (as must be expected of Agatha Christie), it turns out that Mrs Vole is on a mission to save her husband from a guilty verdict by causing some sort of mistrial. However, her husband has even more sinister ideas, and carries double-crossing to great heights when it becomes clear that he has used his wife to get himself acquitted so that he can run off with another woman - and live off the gains ill-gotten from the late Mrs French.

The performance was excellent and the audience seemed enthralled - "glued to their seats" - is a good description. I was particularly struck by the splendid performance of Ruth Hollinger (Mrs Vole), whose Russian accent enhanced to a part very well played.

The stage setting was well done, even though it appeared in one instance that the lights came on earlier than they should have - but this did not detract from a great play, which I admit subsequently featured in my dreams.

In a cast that featured many prominent actors and wonderful acting, I mention a few: Carter was played by Daniel Delong; Sir Wilfrid Robarts by Godwin Kotey; Mr Myers by Ekow Blankson, and Janet Mackenzie by Sarah Dorgbazi.

The stage manager was John Osei-Tutu Agyeman and the set designer was Mr John Djisenu.

By Ruth Adjei for kpokplomaja!