Curtain Call: The Incident Room

Old Fruit Jar Productions came back to The Royal Court studio with a bang, staging The Incident Room. This gripping play delves into a 1970s investigation that rocked the British police force, focusing on the infamous Yorkshire Ripper case. It's been hailed as one of the biggest manhunts in British history. Written originally by David Byrne & Olivia Hirst, "The Incident Room" received superb reviews, earning a well deserved 5 star rating and adding another feather to Old Fruit Jar Productions cap.

The company consistently raises the bar, always delivering outstanding theatre. Their success serves as an example in the scene of what great theatre should look like. We had the chance to chat with Director Alex Carr reflecting on the production and what the team has achieved. in this special curtain call of The Incident Room.

What impact has "The Incident Room" had on the audience in your opinion when they’ve watched the show?

The Incident Room was always going to pique the interests of an audience, the fascination in recent years of true crime obviously played a hand in that, as well as the sheer coincidence of the ITV Drama – but I think what The Incident Room did was allow the audience to come away with a much greater consideration for the impact of the Yorkshire Ripper case on thousands and thousands of people. I think audiences were extremely surprised to have laughed during the production during its moments of levity, they were shock to discover certain elements of the case that are not as well known - such as taking survivor, Maureen Long, out to nightclubs in an attempt to identify her attacker – and the final scene of the play remembers those who were killed by Peter Sutcliffe in a way that memorialises them as people, not as victims, and the hopeful message that one day a woman can just walk on her own without the threat of danger. I think the standing ovations, running mascara, and critical reviews say it all – The Incident Room has opened people’s eyes to the injustice of the World, and it’s getting people talking.

How does the intimate setting of The Studio at Liverpool's Royal Court contribute to the immersive experience of the production?

We were so excited to bring The Incident Room to The Studio at Liverpool’s Royal Court because it allowed us to completely immerse the audience in the world of the play. What we found worked last time was the inclusion of the audience, not in a pantomime way, but making them feel as though they are part of this landmark case in British history – and we are in a sense. This case changed a lot of lives for a lot of people, it changed how the Police work, it had a political impact, and social too. By bringing the audience into that world and not letting them leave really sends home the themes of the play. The Royal Court were more than happy to allow us to bring elements of the set into the foyer and across the auditorium – no matter where you looked there were the posters of faces of those killed by Sutcliffe, there were newspaper clippings, we even recreated an iconic piece of graffiti which was the first thing you saw when you walked in. We even had one character enter with the audience – ticket and drink in hand – only to be dragged out and interrogated by the police in one scene, really highlighting how nobody was safe from the sprawling hands of this desperate investigation.

What were some of the specific challenges and rewards with this production?

Like any production that is based in fact, it’s always a challenge to portray the setting and its characters with realism. Last time we took a little bit of artistic license, but this time around we wanted to ground everything in realism. To do that, it meant revisiting all of the research we conducted the first time around, immersing ourselves in that world and the landscape was a challenge in itself. It’s one of those instances in life where you just wish it wasn’t true. And I suppose from a creative point of view, we knew we were in a different space with different capabilities than last time, so it was a challenge to adapt the original blocking of the show to suit the new space but also to keep it fresh. We were very much aware that audiences thoroughly enjoyed the production the last time we did it, and we didn’t want to change it too much. But it all paid off in the end, thanks to the efforts of the entire team.

In terms of rewards, the biggest reward for us, I think was the critical acclaim from press and audiences, and also just the fact the Royal Court had invited us to bring the show back in the first place. It’s always a nervous moment waiting for a show to open again and wondering if people would enjoy it again this time around, but they did and that was a huge relief to us. We even had the family of one of the characters join us for one or two performances which was incredibly humbling, and their kind words and praise for the production means more than any review or standing ovation ever could.

What is it like seeing all your hard work being recognised from countless 5 star reviews. Did you imagine it to reach the success it did?

It sounds so big headed of me to say, but I suppose we were quietly confident that the show would be a success, at least with audiences. We had the proven track record of having done it earlier in the year, and it’s a powerful script which is bound to shake people to their core. But despite all of this we never got complacent with the production, and right up until the very last performance I was still tweaking things and changing things based on feedback and new information. I think it’s evident from seeing the show that a hell of a lot of hard work and time has gone into crafting it to make it the brilliant production it was, so to be recognised by the press for that with glowing critiques (and some vital constructive criticism) really was a relief. I kept saying to the cast there is no more that I could have given this production as a director, and I am so glad that all of our efforts have been recognised.

What’s the future for The incident room and for old fruit Jar after this?

I think for Old Fruit Jar Productions we just want to keep creating. We just want to build on the momentum and the credentials that this powerhouse production gave us, so that’s what we’ll do, we’ll just keep creating. As for The Incident Room... we’ll see. This production really has been the best of all of our efforts, and I think the calls for it to return yet again say enough... but we’ll see.

Reflecting back, are there any moments that you could’ve changed or improved personally?

I wouldn’t change my experience directing The Incident Room for the World. It has been the best nine months of my career, spending it with people that I love and that I am so proud to call friends and colleagues. I think they gave absolutely everything they had to this production and left it all out on the stage for the audience to see. However, I’m always looking to improve as a director. Even if a show is described as “perfect” I will always

disagree, because for me there is always just one more thing that can be improved, or just expanded upon. As I said, I was tweaking things right up until the last moment, putting in a piece of movement somewhere where the blocking felt stale (after doing it so many times), or altering a piece of tech. We were still changing some lighting states right up to the final curtain call! So, if we were to do it again, or even just with the next production, I will carry a lot of learning over from my experience with The Incident Room. That, at least for me, is one of the most important things.

In the end, The Incident Room by Old Fruit Productions leaves a powerful impression. The play's success and rave reviews speak volumes about the team's ability to connect with audiences. At The Wire we cant wait to see what Old fruit Jar has next for us!

Compiled by, Amy Brennan

Answers was written by, Alex Carr

Edited By, Christopher Woodward