The Fear of 13, currently playing at the Donmar Warehouse, is a masterpiece of modern theatre. Through a combination of powerful storytelling, intuitive acting and simple but staggeringly effective staging, The Fear of 13 will undoubtedly join the canon of the Donmar’s best productions.
***PLOT SPOILER ALERT – skip this paragraph if you don’t want to know the plot***
It tells the story of Nick Yarris, a wild child turned affable young man who has been imprisoned for the notoriously horrific murder of a woman – a case he unwittingly implicates himself when trying to lie his way out of much lesser crimes. We meet Nick on death row, where he is visited by a young volunteer, Jackie, with whom a visceral connection develops. Over months of visits, learning about each other’s lives and past, the pair find themselves embroiled in an unintended romance. When he finally tells his ‘story’, reasserting his innocence, Jackie’s tenderness and belief in him inspires Nick to reignite his drive to prove his innocence. However, in having to battle a bureaucratic process plagued with tragic and seemingly unending delays, alongside little help from his disinterested lawyers, their dreams of a future life together are unimaginably strained.
It's no surprise the play is such a hit given it was written by the supremely talented Lindsey Ferrentino. Following on from plays such as The Artist in Plymouth and The Queen of Versailles (played by Kristin Chenoweth), which is already picked up for a Broadway transfer in 2025/6 season, 2024 has been an incredible year climaxing in The Fear of 13. Inspired by the 2015 documentary of the same name, Ferrentino weaves a story that is so compelling – a timeless story of human struggle and love against-all-odds, that manages to stay fresh and exciting.
Watching this play, you could be forgiven for forgetting that the story of Nick Yarris is completely true. At the end of the play, emotionally exhausted and reeling from all the injustice, we were dragged back to the staggering reality of the story by being blessed by a unique opportunity to meet the man himself. After the cast had taken their bows, Nick unassumingly walked on to stage. Though welcomed with deafeningly rapturous applause, he quickly quieted the crowd and asked that we listen tentatively and allowed him to walk off into the night without any adulation – meaning to leave his message to hang in the space around us. He then provided a sledgehammer of reality, unassumingly reading a poem that he penned on his day of release. To say we cried is an understatement. It was the perfect conclusion – equally humbling and haunting. To know we watched the performance with the real-life Nick was present is awe-inspiring. What a feat it must have been for the cast!
Though each individual performance was magnificent, Oscar winner Adrian Brody somehow managed to standout for all the right reasons. His portrayal of Nick was nuanced yet powerful, grounded in meticulous realism whilst maintaining the whimsical energy from Nick’s knavish youth. Brody’s performance was as masterclass in acting; it perfectly encapsulated Yarris, right down to the cadence of his speech and roguish thick Midwest drawl. Meeting the real-life Nick, Brody’s genius was only further cemented. I fully expect (and hope) he will be showered with accolades for this performance, to add to his already glittering collection of awards.
Supported by the immensely gifted Nana Mensah as Jackie, the two create a consummate symbiosis. Her talent was never more palpable than when, despite being silent, she manages to express the deep, raw emotions of a woman knowingly trapped in a tumultuous love, simultaneously experiencing adoration and longing alongside the deepest, gut-wrenching pain - simply astounding.
That’s not to take away from the rest of the company. The small ensemble seamlessly transitioned from cell mate, prison officer, lawyer, judge, mother, father, newscaster... unrelenting talent in song, dance, and acting which complimented the leads, providing them a platform from which to soar.
Directed by multi-award winner Stephen Martin, who brought us West End smash-hits Stranger Things and Prima Facie, The Fear of 13 is stark; at times oppressive and gloomy, in other moments tender and gentle, all seasoned with well-timed humour and flashes of light-hearted release. With infallible pacing, this undulating terrain allows a complete exploration of Nick’s story and keeps the audience breath abated, internally screaming for justice and struggling to fathom how Nick managed to ultimately find peace and maintain, if not strengthen, his faith in humanity.
The staging, by Olivier Award Winner Miriam Buether, initially seemed unexcitedly simple. Yet every aspect of the set grows in stature as the story develops and shows a deep level of understanding and complexity. Arranged with a stark cell-like plinth in the fore, cell windows backlit on the walls, and props interspersed amongst the stalls, the audience is encapsulated inside the prison – no place to hide. The cast traverse the entire space, intermingled amongst the nervous looking audience, strengthening the sense of oppressiveness and, like on death row, being under constant surveillance. Even the more subtle choices left a massive impression – the monochrome prison, which exemplified the dreariness of Yarris’ time in prison, was perfectly juxtaposed by Jackie’s colourful, chintzy kitchenette, bedecked in uninspiring americana, which highlighted the painful difference between the character’s situations. Similar in the lighting, by Jon Clark, though at first bleak, transformed to strengthen the story. It progressed from merely adding to the sense of oppression to showcasing each prisoner’s identity and highlighting their individuality.
The Fear of 13 at The Donmar Warehouse was, put simply, a masterpiece. One of the best plays I have ever seen. This raw, visceral, heartbreaking play astounded me, left me breathless, tears streaming freely and gladly. I loved every single moment of it.
Though the creatives and actors have demonstrable talent individually, with the awards and accolades to prove it, this play showcased a talent unattainable by one individual – a synergistic magnum opus. The Fear of 13 is to the theatre what the Avengers are to Marvel. I cannot recommend this production more than I have attempted to above. Yes, tickets are currently sold out. However, returns are on sale online sporadically and the Donmar often does on the day standing tickets for popular runs. The effort required to get a ticket is worth it. Sell a kidney, your granny, your kids … whatever it takes. You’ll be so glad you did.
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