The Fear of 13: Adrien Brody is 'mesmerising' in death row drama

Adrien Brody is "at the top of his game" as Nick Yarris

(Image credit: Manuel Harlan)

published 16 October 2024

Timothy Sheader's inaugural production as artistic director at London's Donmar Warehouse theatre is "unmissable", said Claire Allfree in The Telegraph.

Combining "Hollywood glamour" with a "wrenching portrait of the inequities of American justice", "The Fear of 13" tackles the real-life tale of Nick Yarris, who spent over two decades on death row in Pennsylvania for a rape and murder he didn't commit. Based on David Sington's 2015 documentary of the same name, Lindsey Ferrentino's play follows Yarris's "tortuous journey" to freedom.

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"This is an actor at the top of his game and it's a privilege to watch him up close,"said Fiona Mountford on the i news site. A "dynamic" ensemble takes on the roles of the various wardens and prisoners but it's the budding relationship between Yarris and volunteer researcher Jackie Schaffer (Nana Mensah) that gradually becomes the focus of the action. It's testament to the strength of the duo's performances that we "find ourselves rooting for the most unlikely of couples".

There are moments when the production softens the "roughest edges of the murderous prison system, smoothing them with humour and sentimentality", added Alice Saville in The Independent. The "profound bleakness" of the story is "kept at bay" by the "bustling of guards and prisoners" constantly entering or leaving the stage. Still "it's engrossing and poignant, even if it's afraid to let the dark in".

Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.