Twelve Angry Men is a captivating play which explores the intense deliberations of 12 members of a jury.

Originally produced for television and then, more famously, as a 1957 film starring Henry Fonda, the themes of Reginald Rose’s writing are as relevant and as fresh today as they ever were - proof indeed that the call for justice is one of society’s unchanging, fundamental principles.

The premise is a simple one - a jury of 12 men must decide whether or not a young man accused of murdering his father is guilty. Having listened to several days of evidence in court, they retreat to consider their verdict. At first it seems that the outcome will be straightforward and that deliberations will be speedy, but with one dissenting view, the opposite proves to be true. Prejudice and preconceptions rise to the surface, tempers flare and the tension in the cramped, stiflingly hot room on a New York summer afternoon is palpable. Past sadness is exposed and the audience is challenged to consider to what extent a person can ever be truly impartial.

The power of this production of Twelve Angry Men lies in its simplicity. The uncluttered set means that the focus is permanently on the 12 very different characters as they debate the matter at hand. The atmosphere is oppressive and claustrophobic. Opening windows in an attempt to let fresh air into the stuffy room only increases the noise from the busy streets outside, and as evening falls and a storm approaches, so the mood in the room darkens and the level of tension intensifies.

A large table in the centre of the stage turns constantly and almost imperceptibly, bringing home the excruciatingly slow passage of time in this stressful, painful situation and asking the audience to look at the characters - and, by association, the situation in which they find themselves - from different points of view.

The performances of this talented group of accomplished actors, without exception, are polished and compelling. The casting is spot-on and it is impossible to single out individuals for praise. The performers complement each other perfectly, and their sharp, fast-paced dialogue holds the spectator on a knife edge as they move around the stage with polished precision. Each character has a tale to tell, and as the focus shifts from one to the next, the random series of events which has resulted in a young man’s life lying in the hands of 12 strangers is brought home with great force. The audience is transported to the hot, airless New York room where the case being discussed is quite literally a matter of life and death.

With riveting performances, an astonishingly atmospheric set, twists and turns in the plot and a heavy dose of the darker side of human nature, Twelve Angry Men is a triumph. It may be as close to a perfect piece of theatre as it is possible to be, and the standing ovation that followed the play’s opening night at The Rep said it all. This is a production that surely should not be missed.

Five stars

Twelve Angry Men was reviewed by Rachel Smith on Monday 21 September at Birmingham Rep, where it shows until Saturday 26 September