As a judge, Jessica is a rockstar. She sees through the barristers' tricks and their latent, or blatant, sexism, and she always has a counter move. However, as a mother, Jessica isn't quite so sure of herself. She has a lot of anxiety about her parenting of Harry, which she sometimes feels she is doing on her own, and then there is the guilt born of balancing the demands of work and home. For the first half of Inter Alia, Jessica's juggling act is largely played for laughs, but at a critical point her two worlds collide, and she must face questions about which is a priority - mother or officer of the court. She is also forced to question the binaries that have ruled her life as a judge: victim vs villain, innocent vs guilty, legal vs moral. Suzie Miller has written a challenging, and often very funny, play that confronts some important issues. Parenting in a connected world, and in one in which traditional roles have been only nominally abandoned, can be both overwhelming and complex. Similarly, acting as a judge in a legal system which is built on simplistic notions of culpability and punishment, and where nuance and context are lost by a sensationalising and punitive media may be far from justice. Rosamund Pike, who plays Jessica and occasionally other characters, is almost never off stage, and she absolutely dazzles in what is definitely an award-worthy performance. Her tour de force of the actor's craft is ably supported by Jasper Talbot who plays the lost and bullied son Harry, and by Jamie Glover who deftly depicts the pre-occupied and self-satisfied husband Michael. Inter Alia is a sharp social critique and a theatrical triumph. This must-see show is definitely one of our top ten for 2025.
Rated: ★★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo Manuel Harlan
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