Justifying War

Our Review:

5 November 2003

It's not every day you see a play whose cast of characters includes Alastair Campbell, Geoff Hoon MP, Radio 4 'Today' programme journalist Andrew Gilligan and BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies. But then Justifying War isn't any play.

Those names, of course, were amongst the 75 witnesses who were called before Lord Hutton this summer in his inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of government scientist Dr David Kelly, after he was exposed as the source of the BBC's news report that the dossier on "Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction" (suggesting that Saddam could launch an WMD attack within 45 minutes) was flawed.

The inquiry was not broadcast, but full transcripts of what was said, as well as documentary evidence that was shown, are available on an official website (www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk). But a quicker and easier way to digest some of the proceedings is now available in the latest...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com (82.35.62.168) - 12 November 2003:

This is riveting. The transcripts of the Hutton inquiry have been edited down to 2 hours (in an apparently balanced way) and you hang on every word, it's fascinating. The acting is magnificently naturalistic - watch out for a tour de force by the actor playing Mackinlay, who chaired the Select Committee, and is uncomfortably out of control and deeply sympathetic all at the same time. And to be able to see the original emails and memos on plasma screens feels like open government for once (albeit ex post facto) - though I'd recommend sitting towards the right of the auditorium to be able to see the screens easily. Did it tell me much I didn't know? - not really. Was it great theatre? - yes. ...

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