Patricide in ancient Rome carried a cruel and unusual punishment. One would be sealed a sack that contained a variety of animals before being thrown into a river. Thus if the water didn’t drown you, the panicking creatures stuck in your prison certainly would.
These days, the penalty is not quite as harsh.
In the play 12 Angry Men, which runs at The Junction between September 14 and 16, the act of killing one’s father and the thereafter is put in a modern context. A teenager is on trial for the alleged murder of his father and his fate shall rest upon the decision of 12 men — a jury that is compelled to provide the judge with a unanimous verdict.
If the conclusion drawn is one of guilt, he will be sentenced to death.
Written by Reginald Rose in 1954, the play, directed by Chandni Varma, will be performed by a cast of actors from Dubai’s community theatre.
Commenting on the play, Verma said: “I’m quite excited to be finally reaching the stage. It has not been an easy journey. We first auditioned at the end of January 2017 and finalised the initial cast in February 2017 — over half of which has changed by now. From actors dropping out to pre-scheduled vacations and even a postponed performance date — we’ve really stuck to our guns to reach a conclusion, much like the 12 jurors in the play.”
Tickets for the show are Dh100.
