Coventry community theatre company the Saints Dramatic Society is taking on a powerful historic legal thriller for its latest production.

The Allesley-based amateur dramatics group is tackling Lucy Kirkwood’s The Welkin, a courtroom drama set in 18th century rural Suffolk that premiered at the National Theatre in 2020.

The play focuses on a jury of 12 matrons as they debate the fate of a woman who has been sentenced to hang for a heinous crime – the murder of a child – and is effectively a feminist twist on the classic Twelve Angry Men.

When convicted killer Sally Poppy claims to be pregnant, the matrons are called away from their regular jobs to decide whether she’s telling the truth or simply trying to escape the gallows. The drama is heightened by the fact that each of the jurors has their own secrets, grief and rage at a world that seems to use them and ignore them in equal measure.

The play highlights the misogyny of society and the legal system of the time – the unfaithful Poppy was convicted on the say-so of one man, her slighted husband – with women’s rights, physical biology and even witchcraft all part of the mix.

The Saints’ production features a 17-strong ensemble cast with varying experience of performing and is directed and produced by Peter Daly-Dickson, who continues to revel in his return to acting and directing after a 20-plus year career in business.

The show contains some strong language, violence and adult themes including sensitive matters such as child death and miscarriage. As a result it is recommended for ages 14 and up.

The Welkin runs at Allesley Village Hall, Birmingham Road from 19-23 May. For more details and tickets, visit www.saintsdramacoventry.org