The Trial of Jane Fonda @ The Assembly Rooms

The Music Hall at the Assembly Rooms darkens: the play is about to begin. Rather than the typical spotlight, the unique touch of a projection is used to bring light to the stage. Video footage from the Vietnam War is juxtaposed against shots of a young Jane Fonda to set the scene for the trial of the actress who was a strong character in the peace campaign against the war in the 70s. Yet the war veterans who are opposing her filming her new movie in their town perceive her in an entirely different manner: to them, she is a traitor to America.

As The Trial of Jane Fonda unfolds, it is revealed as one of the most fascinating history lessons on the Vietnam War, which is unusually taught through the personalisation of the casualities on both sides, rather than just by the body count. The heartache of Donny Simpson, played by Ian Virgo, is felt by all as he recites the tale of how he became wheelchair bound, powerfully conveying the emotional scarring of war. While the use of the video segments interlaced with the acting throughout the play might be over-used at times, it serves as a tool to emphasise that the tales of the soldiers are in fact the reality of many, and not just the cleverly written script of Terry Jastrow.

The Trial of Jane Fonda is undoubtedly a well-crafted show that will emotionally educate the viewers on the atrocities of war, with the talented Anne Archer playing Jane Fonda as the principal educator of the injustice on both sides. One cannot help upon hearing the horrors of the veterans to spare a thought for the current conflict between Israel and Gaza. After all, the stories of war are never new or old; they are always in the present.