Theatre Review - The Fear of 13

Adrien Brody in The Fear of 13 [Manuel Harlan]

AT the heart of this true-life story, based on the documentary film by David Sington, is Hollywood actor Adrien Brody’s heartfelt, quietly devastating performance.

American playwright Lindsey Ferrentino’s The Fear of 13 finds new vigour in the experiences of Nick Yarris who spent 22 years on death row in Pennsylvania for a crime he did not commit.

Arrested for a driving offence, Yarris tries to avoid being sentenced by claiming an acquaintance, he believes dead, had committed a recent rape-murder. But the innocent man is still alive and Yarris finds himself convicted in his stead.

While incarcerated, he meets Jackie Schaffer (Nana Mensah), a volunteer prison visitor. They bond over books and fall in love. With the advent of DNA testing, the pair hold out hope that Yarris will be exonerated. But nothing goes to plan and Yarris is failed at every turn by the US judicial system. In despair he petitions the court to request an execution date.

It doesn’t matter if you know Yarris’s story or not, Justin Martin’s staging and the performances are breathtaking, the love story affecting, and Miriam Buether’s set is sublime.

The superb ensemble multi-role inmates, guards, cops and judges. There are some gorgeous interludes when the prisoners sing, reminding us (and the guards), of their humanity.

Although Martin sets a cracking pace, with lightning costume changes, the 105-minute duration still feels a tad long and I felt my focus waning towards the end. Nevertheless, this is unmissable.

Until November 30

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Originally published by Camden New Journal