May 15, 2023
Writing for Counsel Magazine, Simon Spence KC reviews the 9th Trial and Error production which took place at the Old Bailey in March 2023.
Devised by former RLC Head of Chambers HH Peter Rook KC, Trial and Error re-enacts many original trials which have taken place in the actual location with vignettes performed by a mix of actors, barristers and judges. This year’s theme focused on the role of the jury and included RLC’s very own David Etherington KC playing the part of author DH Lawrence “with his usual gusto…and a Black Country accent”.
The evening commenced with the Amies Freedom Choir- a female ensemble helping those who have been subject to trafficking. Simon commented:
“The music was a particular feature of the show. Laura Casas Cambra took over the keyboard this year and played with great flourish, accompanying a wide range of musical styles from a snippet of the Beggar’s Opera to a French Revolutionary song.”
Trial and Error raises funds for the Sheriff’s and Recorder’s Fund and Pan Intercultural Arts. This year it was dedicated to the memory of the late Tony Arlidge KC, one of the founders and first director of Trial and Error. Simon concluded:
“He was a force of nature and this show did him proud, capturing as it did the solemnity, lunacy and Quixotic nature of the law and legal system: all characteristics of that unique advocate, whom many of us had the privilege of knowing and counting as a friend. While Ellis Sareen did it more than justice, how I’d have loved to hear the Arlidge drawl deliver Peter Cook’s hilarious summing up, “Entirely a Matter for You”.
Read review here: [Counsel Magazine]