To kill a mockingbird

It’s not all black and white

By Kim Connor

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is familiar to most of us, appearing as a favourite on many secondary school English curriculums. This Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company production of an often retold story is delivered faithfully and with impressive energy from the cast.

Little Scout Finch spends her days playing games and making mischief with her brother, Jem, and new boy, Dill. Life is slow and relatively peaceful in Maycomb, a small Alabama town. Underneath its sleepy surface, though, Maycomb’s white folks struggle to get along with their black neighbours and a scattering of trailer trash residents remind Maycomb of its poverty. Scout’s dad, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer and a colour-blind champion for civil rights. When he is called to defend a black man against a rape charge, Atticus fights a noble but ultimately tragic battle, but one that also teaches Scout, and the people of Maycomb, a few valuable life lessons.

In a production of smooth performances, Sally Tatum stands out for her considered portrayal of Mayella Ewell. Duncan Preston turns out a passionate and convincingly genuine Atticus Finch. Simon Higlett’s set provides a lynchpin for the production, capturing perfectly the drowsy small-town life of Maycomb. The stark image of a bare tree in the centre of the stage throughout the play is remarkably effective in suggesting that life may not be as cosy as it appears.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an absorbing story that addresses race, prejudice and freedom. This is a fine production of a renowned novel, but it is perhaps too eager to retell Harper Lee’s story. A more inventive stage adaptation may not be to all tastes, but it might also breathe fresh life into a story that must stay relevant to our current time.