Twelve Angry Men

Twelve Angry Men is a drama written by American film and television writer Reginald Rose (1920-2002) concerning the jury of a homicide trial.

Performance History in South Africa
An extract from the programme of a run at the Alexander Theatre in Johannesburg in September, 1965: 'Reginald Rose, the author, originally wrote tonight's play, Twelve Angry Men, as a script for T.V. and when it was performed in this medium in America in 1954, the cast included powerful names of Edward Arnold, Franchot Tone, Robert Cummings and Walter Abel. United Artists bought it shortly afterwards and asked the author to enlarge the original idea and write the film script. When the film was produced three years later by Henry Fonda, with himself and Lee J. Cobb in leading roles, it was well received and the author encouraged to adapt his original idea into a full-length play which opened at the Queen's Theatre, London, in 1964. The action takes place in an American jury room and it is a personal experience of the author to this extent - that it was written shortly after he had served on a jury in 1954. Twelve Angry Men is the second in a season of two plays presented for the Alexander Theatre by the noted Israeli producer, Albert Ninio, who will leave Johannesburg for Tel Aviv, shortly after the opening night to continue his work at the Habimah Theatre. HIs first production, The Deputy, was sharply criticised by newspapermen but one important fact emerged from the five-week run. At every performance, The Deputy had the enthusiastic support of members and the public.' The cast of this run: No.1: Geoffrey Morris No.2: Gordon Wales No. 3: Joe Stewardson No. 4: Louis Ife No. 5: William Pullen No. 6: Kevin Basel No. 7: Clive Parnell No. 8: Patrick Mynhardt No. 9: Gerald Bellamy No. 10: George Moore No. 11: Pieter Geldenhuys No. 12: Hal Orlandini Guard: John Llewelyn

Directed by Ben Persad for TECON as their very first production and presented at Bolton Hall, Durban in August 1970.