This is London Magazine July Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 46
46
Photos: Johan Persson
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Wyndham’s Theatre
To Kill a Mockingbird, published in
1960, is one of the most famous works
in literature. Two years later it spawned a
hugely successful film starring Gregory
Peck, who won an Oscar for his
portrayal of Atticus Finch, the lawyer
who defends Tom Robinson, the black
farmer accused of rape and battery in
1930’s Alabama. How does a playwright
deal with such an iconic book that has
sold more than 40 million copies and is
quite possibly the most studied novel in
schools across the world?
The new London production is
described as ‘A new play by Aaron Sorkin’,
the writer responsible for The West Wing, A
Few Good Men, and much else besides.
While the play is not that ‘new’, having
been first performed in 2018, Sorkin has
attempted to update Harper Lee’s book to
consider race relations in America in the
post-Trump era.
If Lee’s book has a fundamental flaw,
it lies in the fact that her black characters
have no voice. Sorkin deals with this in
part by enhancing the role of Calpurnia,
Atticus’s housekeeper and surrogate
mother to his children, Jem & Scout.
Calpurnia is not above criticising the
saintly Atticus, at one point reminding
him that he does not need her gratitude
for doing what is so obviously right.
The book, the film and indeed the
original 1990 play by Christopher Sergel
treat the subject matter as a
Bildungsroman – a romance of
development for Atticus’s two children,
Jem and Scout, respectively 12 and six
years old. The Sorkin version alters this
dynamic, with Atticus a more obviously
flawed character reflecting Sorkin’s view
of the impotency of white Liberal
America. The London production
develops this idea further, with the
children played by young adults.
Atticus’s role as father/protector/teacher
is played down as the children,
particularly Jem, are free to disagree
with his view that ‘most people are nice
when you finally see them’.
The acting ensemble, led by Richard
Coyle as Atticus, are uniformly strong.
Coyle is particularly empathetic in his
summing up to the jury. The children,
played by Anna Munden, Gabriel Scott
and Dylan Malyn as Scout, Jem & Dill
respectively, are a joy to watch. Mention
should also be made of Andrea Davy as
Calpurnia and Oscar Pearce as the
loathsome Bob Ewell.
The stage design (by Miriam Buether)
is a work of art in itself, allowing the
shift from the courtroom to Atticus’s
porch and other settings almost
seamlessly.
Overall, the production works well.
Tight direction by Bartlett Sher kept the
audience enthralled for nearly three
hours.
For purists who love the book, the
film, or indeed the original play, much of
the dialogue is unrecognisable. But for
all its deviation from Harper Lee’s
original, the play remains rooted in the
book’s fundamental virtues of honesty,
decency and courage. Courage
particularly in the face of vicious and
endemic racism. While we may know
what a terrible place Alabama was in the
1930’s for its citizens of colour, Sorkin
reminds us that the battle has still not
been won in the 21st century.
Julian Blake
Playing until 12 September.
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