Jury Duty – Jury Games / Theatre Deli, London

Interactive, game-style theatrical experience Jury Duty sees participants working together to weigh up evidence and reach a verdict in a complex case.

Jury Duty

To be honest, and not to comment too much on the current government, it sounds plausible. The Justice Act 2023, designed to reduce a backlog in cases, means citizens can serve as juries in fast-tracked cases without a courtroom, lawyers, or a host of other safeguards. And so we arrive at an office building on Leadenhall Street, and are sworn in. After the briefest of introductions to our fellow jurors (smaller groups are combined to form a sufficiently large jury), we get to work.

This is interactive theatre with emphasis on the interactive. The premise is that you as the jury are deciding on the case of Harry Briggs. Accused of arson, manslaughter and murder, the charges before him are serious. You’ve only got 90 minutes to reach a verdict, and do so by diving into a range of evidence and interviewing the accused via video link from Wandsworth Prison. There’s physical evidence to inspect (luckily evidence contamination is one of the frameworks that’s gone out the window so you can have a good poke around), audio recordings, digital records, social media posts, and a map of the scene – a bit like Cluedo. There’s a big whiteboard to map out ideas and clues on. And a representative of the Ministry of Justice is on hand to help guide you.

It’s really good fun. I’ve written somewhere before that I like interactive theatre but mostly when I can choose if and when to interact. In Jury Duty you don’t have a choice, but the fast-paced, problem solving environment means you never feel put on the spot. And working as a group, everyone can take the role that suits them. Like breaking codes? Fancy interrogating the accused? Love a whiteboard brainstorming session? There’s something for everyone!

Jury Games

This is one of a handful of live and remote offerings by Jury Games. The premise is similar (investigation, evidence, teamwork), and as such they live at an interesting intersection between theatre, puzzle, game, and teambuilding activity. In Jury Duty, once you and your fellow jurors have reached your verdict you have the chance to reflect on the experience and chat with the actors. It’s a nice grounding moment before heading back out into the City. And the Jury Duty team do a nice job of improvising their responses to each jury’s lines of questioning and gently shepherding them towards a satisfying outcome within the given timeframe.

So all in all Jury Duty comes with a Salterton Arts Review stamp of approval. Any future jury duty I’m involved in will be positively boring compared to this active, snappy, conspiracy-rich version. And smaller groups need not worry that they will be the only jurors. Jury Games have a failsafe against this and you will have enough fellow jurors to work through all the evidence together.

Whether you’re looking for some teambuilding, fancy a different kind of night out, or want to experience a practical application of theatrical and creative skills, Jury Duty is a solid choice. It’s also an opportunity to discover Theatre Deli, who bring arts into disused spaces and have a broad programme of activities besides providing the perfect backdrop for the Jury Duty premise.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3.5/5

Jury Duty currently booking until 27 July 2024. More info and tickets here.