This Much is True

Synopsis

On 22 June 2005 members of the Metropolitan Police shot Jean Charles de Menezes dead at Stockwell Underground Station. Four years later, it remains a defining moment in how Britain battles terror. Creating the widest possible picture of how an horrific individual incident became a pivotal national event, This Much is True interweaves contemporary media footage with previously unheard testimonies from Jean Charles de Menezes’s family and friends, senior Police Officers from the case, 'Justice for Jean' campaigners, the legal teams, whistle-blowers and eye-witnesses. Many of these people are speaking publicly for the first time. This Much is True is a passionate, shocking and theatrical exploration of how personal tragedy can affect a whole society, and asks the most difficult question of all: Where do we go from here?

Our Review:

Theo Bosanquet - 5 November 2009

The 2005 shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes is one of this year's hottest topics on the Fringe, with two plays earlier in the year (Oh Well Never Mind Bye at the Union and Stockwell at the Landor), and now this offering at Theatre503, all dealing with different aspects of the tragedy.

Of the three, This Much is True has the widest scope. Its cast of six portray characters ranging from Sir Ian Blair to members of the Justice4Jean campaign, in a rapid-fire tapestry of scenes complemented and interspersed by film projections, ringing mobile phones and even a Pirandellian interruption from a stage manager.

There's a lot going on, and from the moment you step into the theatre it's nearly impossible to take in every detail – from Brian Paddick's signed autobiography sitting smugly on a shelf, to the enveloping graffiti work of Milo Tchais, it's a feast for the senses.

The script, neatly comp...

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Latest User Review

J Gleeson - 11 November 2009:

Thought provoking and powerful play with some great work from the majority of the cast, in particular the very truthful Amber Agar. The accents are fine except for some cringe-making efforts, particularly of the Northern variety, from the wooden Waddell....

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