The Trial

Lead up a dank, heat-damaged staircase—an eerie reminder of the of the fire which consumed the Gilded Balloon’s old address on the Cowgate—I am taken by the hand by a welcoming young gentlemen and into The Trial.

But, no… It’s a trick. A torch is shone straight into my face and as I look around, startled, a blindfold is tied across my eyes. Blind, I am guided—as helpless as a child—to my spot, where I am commanded to wait. I don’t know how long I stand there, confused. Maybe two minutes? Maybe five? Maybe ten? All I can hear is the snivelling sounds of fear coming from all around me.

When the blindfold is finally removed, there I stand – watching the arrest of Josef K. He’s as baffled as I am. He knows not his crime, and can’t understand why these insane figures are tormenting him. His confusion mirrors our confusion, his trepidation is our trepidation, his fear is our fear. As a theatrical device, this staging is quite unlike anything else in Edinburgh.

As The Trial develops, the audience is herded around like a flock of sheep by braying actors, faces made-up into satanic white masks. The effect is truly harrowing. The traditional safety of the fourth wall has not been shattered – it was never there in the first place.

The chaos of The Trial is a powerful device, making it one of the most creative, innovative and exciting productions at the Fringe this year, but it’s also its greatest weakness. As scenes change rapidly, one of the audiences key concerns becomes a simple jostling for position in order to get a reasonable view of the action.

Moreover, much of the rather convoluted dialogue and subtle plot developments that Kafka was so famed for is lost on an audience whose initial concern is simply getting their bearings. Therefore, when The Trial builds to its crescendo the very fact that the experience is over comes as something of a shock. Nonetheless, having to climb over the body of Josef K as we escape his nightmare world is a forced action packed with symbolism.

As a piece of theatre, this is exciting, disorienting stuff, but not without its flaws. The acting can be a little hammy and the technicalities of performing in an area with no boundaries does present some problems. But as an experience, The Trial is unrivalled.