The Trial, The Dukes Lancaster

Proper Job Theatre Company take classic tales which have stood the test of time and place them in contemporary contexts to find the learning and meaning for today. Kafka’s The Trial didn’t need much interpretation. Work began at the start of the pandemic, before we were all asked to download the NHS Track and Trace, before the rush to vaccinate the global population, before the birth of all those conspiracy theories; it makes one wonder if Kafka had seen the future. It also made the job of interpreting this rich text incredibly satisfying, knowing what we have to say carries such stark, unnerving relevance. The physical style, which defines Proper Job’s work, enriches this production with visual excitement and surprising images. The original score by Tim Cunningham, long-time contributor to the company’s work, brings a Kurt Weill-esque feel to the piece, built on by the live band and vocals. This production has the added element of humour, taken from Kafka’s original work and brought to life with the grotesque, comedic nature of the Comedia dell’Arte. Fast-paced, funny, (and around for a tantalisingly short time), this new production from Proper Job sees them take a bold step forward in an increasingly cautious world. Caution is never the approach for this company – as intent as ever on blasting a brave, theatrical path forward - for others to follow.

What if you were arrested for a crime you knew nothing about? What if everyone else began to doubt you? What if you began to doubt yourself? On the morning of his 30th birthday, Joe is shocked to wake up to two strangers inside his flat, there to arrest him. But what has he done wrong? As he racks his brains to understand what it might be, a media storm erupts around him and he is soon trending online as a hate figure. The authorities appear to have ‘his data’ to confirm his guilt - but what might that be - and where has it come from? He just cannot get to the truth. Determined to clear his name, he begins to look into the system which has condemned him, but the deeper he gets into his case, the deeper he becomes lost in a nightmare he cannot wake up from... In this comic and gripping reimagining of Franz Kafka’s The Trial, from Proper Job Theatre and Chris O’Connor, we explore the world of big data, public shaming, and the very nature of guilt. This satirical, absurdist take on today’s world will have you laughing and terrified in equal measure, as ultimately the concept of justice itself is put on trial, with all of us, in the dock.