REVIEW: AN INTERROGATION by Jamie Armitage at Hampstead Theatre 16 Jan – 22 Feb 2025

‘What'll get a posh prick like him to open up?’ ★★★★

That's the question asked by An Interrogation, a play loosely based on the real case of Russell Williams, a respected colonel whose confession to a string of rapes and murders sent shockwaves through the Canadian establishment. Or, more, specifically, it's based on the part of that case which went viral: the publicised recordings of his interrogation. These videos have racked in millions of views online, and in grainy, overhead shots show an unassuming, polite detective—well aware that he has not a scrap of solid evidence—tricking the colonel into a full confession in just a few hours. 

Writer-director Jamie Armitage has changed many aspects of the story, from the nationalities and genders of those concerned to the actual nature of the crime in question. Most satisfying are the changes made with a wink to those in the know—one plot twist in particular packs a double oomph if you're aware of how the original interrogation played out, and you expect the show to follow the same route. But the selected quotes and details he has retained add a disturbing queasiness to the proceedings, and he's focused the production tightly on that David vs. Goliath, Big Man vs. Little Man (now woman) struggle that so fascinated online audiences. 

Because DC Ruth Palmer (Rosie Sheehy) is the underdog, in every way possible apart from intelligence: she's a young female officer from a less than privileged background, with a hunch but no proof to back it up. Suspect Cameron Andrews (Jamie Ballard) is posh and charming, the kind of man who fires people during the day, runs charities at night and still finds time to care for his ailing mother. Ruth's superior John Culin (Colm Gormley) rounds out the cast with wit and skill, but spends most of the interrogation out of sight: ‘I'm actually gonna sit this one out’, he tells her. ‘You've got this.’

And so for the bulk of its running time, An Interrogation is a two-hander, questioner and questionee facing each other across the table as the clock ticks down on a kidnapping victim's chances of survival. It's the type of set up that is easily torpedoed by even mediocre acting—thankfully, Sheehy and Ballard are outstanding. As Ruth, Sheehy pulls off the tightrope act of playing a consummate professional used to hiding her true feelings, while still letting the cracks show. As Cameron, Ballard combines an easy likability with a shark-like talent for throwing us off balance with the most seemingly innocuous observations. A mild comment about coffee on Ruth's shirt, made within seconds of entering the stage, is more unsettling than it has any right to be.

The actors' subtle, layered approach is aided by the production's central conceit: the live footage of the interrogation displayed on the back wall of the set. By switching this footage between different angles—an overhead shot, close-ups, even under-the-table views of the performers' tense hands—Armitage cleverly manipulates the rhythm of the show and the information at our disposal, while underlining the themes of trust and subjective perception of truth. The effect is slick and punchy, and elevates what is, at heart, a fairly simple and well-trodden plot into something much more interesting.

For pure skill and craft, An Interrogation shines.



Photography: Marc Brenner

BOX OFFICE https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/an-interrogation/ 

Cast

Ruth Palmer: Rosie Sheehy

Cameron Andrews: Jamie Ballard

John Culin: Colm Gormley

Creative Team

Writer & Director: Jamie Armitage

Designer: Sarah Mercade

Lighting Designer: Jonathan Chan

Sound Designer: Tom Foskett Barnes

Video Designer: Dan Light

Casting Director:: Becky Paris

Stage Manager: Aime Neeme

Production Manager: Josh Collins

Executive Producer: Ellie Keel

Deputy Producer: Natasha Ketel