Television personality, newspaper columnist and all-round controversialist James Highwood becomes the biggest story of the day when he goes on trial for the murder of his nine-month-old baby son. The tough-talking pundit admits that he killed the brain-damaged child by placing a pillow over his dead; Highwood denies premeditation, however, and insists this was a case of manslaughter.

Thus is the scene set for Terence Frisby’s gripping courtroom drama Rough Justice. First staged in 1994, the play is now out on tour in a new production starring the charismatic Tom Conti as the accused and ably directed, in his debut in this capacity, by James Larkin.

Emphatically not for the squeamish, the drama focuses on an area of ongoing public concern in its consideration of the rights and wrongs of ‘mercy killing’, as Highwood insists his action should not be called. At the same time it addresses questions concerning the fairness, or otherwise, of British court procedure. These were inspired in part by the playwright’s own experience of the system during a long and acrimonious divorce.

Just as Frisby did at times, Highwood chooses to act for himself. By this means, he feels, will be established a close rapport with the jury who will decide his fate. But we in the audience, who in effect become that jury (there being none on stage), must feel some sympathy for him in what is clearly unequal combat with the sharp-witted, hugely talented prosecuting counsel.

As portrayed by Elizabeth Payne, Mrs Margaret Casely QC is an utterly credible figure — fierce but fair — to one such as this reviewer who has spent a significant part of his life observing court proceedings. In vain does Highwood’s good-sort solicitor Jeremy Ackroyd (David Michaels) urge him to hire himself a brief.

Where verisimilitude is concerned, it did seem at first that Royce Mills, a familiar figure from so many stage farces, might lack some of the gravitas of an Old Bailey judge. Wrong — though we did see a funny side to him too. No less believable is Mary Lincoln’s world-famous paediatrician Dr Hannah Radzinski, though it jars that she gives her evidence (as no witness could) without being sworn in.

Janet Bird’s set switches easily from courtroom to the cells beneath, where Highwood is seen in a series of agonised discussions about the case with his young wife Jean (Carol Starks).

After the jury’s verdict is given and the curtain falls, Tom Conti invites a show of hands on the matter from the audience. The result: a dead heat.

 

Until Saturday. Box office: 01865 305305 (www.oxfordplayhouse.com)

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