Hutton play captures drama

By Mark Davies
BBC News Online political reporter

A stage play based on proceedings at the Hutton Inquiry into the death of scientist Dr David Kelly has opened in London.

As the Hutton inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly drew to a close in September, James Dingemans, counsel to the inquiry, told the court: "Somewhere along the way we lost a summer. I hope we exchange it for understanding."

The inquiry into Dr Kelly's death was not broadcast

The contribution from London's Tricycle Theatre to that is their new play Justifying War, a selection of extracts from the inquiry edited by Guardian journalist Richard Norton-Taylor.

It is an ambitious project which follows on from the theatre's tradition of staging versions of public inquiries: past shows have included Half the Picture, on the arms to Iraq affair, and The Colour of Justice, the Tricycle's version of the inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence.

It is, of course, impossible for a play of little more than two hours to be able to convey a full sense of everything heard in court room 73 of the Royal Courts of Justice in August and September.

Skilful

The inquiry into the events leading to the apparent suicide of Dr Kelly, the government weapons expert named as the source of a report on Iraq by BBC correspondent Andrew Gilligan, heard from 75 witnesses over 25 days.

But while Justifying War includes edited evidence from just 12 of those witnesses, Mr Norton-Taylor's skilful selection of those to be included in the play means it succeeds in providing a gripping overview of the inquiry which makes for compelling theatre.

Among the witnesses portrayed in the play are Dr Kelly's wife Janice, government media chief Alastair Campbell, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and BBC chairman of governors Gavyn Davies.

There is, of course, a danger that although the words remain true to the Hutton inquiry transcripts, the actors use dramatic licence and distort the way witnesses actually came across in court.

But thanks to some excellent performances, this is not a trap which Justifying War falls into.

James Woolley makes a fine Lord Hutton, mastering the inquiry head's plummy tones right down to his references to "weapons of mars destruction".

The occasional flickers of bemusement are spot on, as is the impassive stare he adopts for most of the proceedings.

Captured

Mark Penfold is also good as James Dingemans (as is Adam Barker as Peter Knox, the junior counsel to the inquiry). There is perhaps a danger in Roland Oliver's portrayal of MP Andrew Mackinlay that he slips into a near-Dickensian character a little too much.

There is also a good performance from Kenneth Bryans as Geoff Hoon - the actor has captured Mr Hoon's grim downwards stare perfectly.

But the highlight is a superb portrayal of Alastair Campbell by David Michaels. From the rubbing of his nose to the tightening of his jaw, the actor captures the media chief's mannerisms in a remarkably accurate way.

At the Hutton inquiry, Mr Campbell was the opposite of his sometimes fiery performances elsewhere - more calm control than fire and brimstone - and Michaels gets it spot on.

All of this, plus an excellent set which is authentic right down to the empty bookcases behind Lord Hutton, means that the play makes for really excellent theatre.

The chances are that Justifying War will - like Half the Picture - in time find its way from a north London theatre to the small screen, and it would be welcome if it does so.

The plan ends with the deeply moving testimony from Janice Kelly. As at the inquiry itself, her words are spoken via an audiolink (and Sally Giles' intonation and pauses are eerily like Dr Kelly's wife), with a photograph of Mrs Kelly displayed on the court's computer screens.

After all the emails, drafts of the Iraq dossier and other documents, Mrs Kelly's evidence, naturally enough, underlined the desperate tragedy of her husband's death. In the play, in the one piece of dramatic licence used by Mr Norton-Taylor, the chronology is juggled so that her words end the performance.

It was a highly effective end to an excellent piece of theatre.