The 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst by the United Federated Forces of the Symbionese Liberation Army, a short-lived far-left organisation in the United States which almost nobody referred to by its full title, usually called ‘the SLA’ for short, was a few years before my time – its details, which I spent some time on the train home reading up about, are extensively documented elsewhere online, which might have been a reason for this play not to delve too deeply into it. And, of course, this is a show ‘based on’ (that is, not ‘about’) her life and times, which permits it to deploy creative license. But if one isn’t already familiar with what happened back then, this play is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle on first viewing.
Ceci Calf’s set centres on the latter of the two time periods between which the narrative hops – in 2017, Robert (Nathaniel Parker) is about to move house. There are cardboard boxes galore, as one might expect, but not as many as one might expect for a retired man with a lifetime’s worth of accumulated possessions. He has, he says, sold a lot of his things, largely to pay for legal expenses, despite being an attorney himself. When the play switches to the 1970s, the events about which Hearst’s – sorry, Holly’s (Abigail Cruttenden) – trial was about are described in retrospect. To me, this rather renders the time-hopping unnecessary, because the play might as well tell everything in retrospect in 2017 instead.
Robert and Holly’s younger selves are represented by The Lawyer (Ben Lamb) and The Heiress (Katie Matsell) – at some point, the dual narratives merge and things get rather messy, in more ways than one. Cruttenden’s Holly manages to remain relatively calm and measured, given what was being asked of her, which gave the play some nuance it might otherwise have been deprived of. It doesn’t particularly help, either, that what Robert is being accused of in the ‘present’ isn’t nearly as fully fleshed out as the allegations of yesteryear levelled at Holly, even if it is telling that he asserts he has engaged the services of a woman lawyer because he thinks that in itself will help his case.
The audience is also deprived of seeing the heightened tension of the courtroom itself, a point which is only underlined with Atticus Finch, the protagonist in To Kill A Mockingbird, is name-dropped – in both the novel and a West End stage adaptation, court proceedings were pivotal to the story. Here, nobody appears to be a protagonist, in the sense that it is difficult to root for any of them, as a sense of entitlement is what they all have in common. A late twist in the story that sets Robert’s temper on fire was rather predictable, and the play’s conclusion was something of a damp squib.
That said, the show benefits hugely from having such a strong cast – Matsell’s Heiress goes through a wide range of emotions as the kidnap victim who eventually finds herself behind bars for criminal activity undertaken whilst in captivity. An uneven if well-intentioned production.
Review by Chris Omaweng
“You love the attention, you always have.”
1978. Holly, a young heiress, sits in a California prison awaiting trial for her role in a string of armed robberies that have captivated the nation. Her only hope? Her hotshot lawyer, Robert – who might make his name, if he can save hers.
2017. Robert, now one of the most famous attorneys in America, faces a different kind of trial: the court of public opinion. In a last-ditch bid for redemption, he turns to the one former client who could help him plead his case. But will she?
CAST
Abigail Cruttenden – Holly
Ben Lamb – The Lawyer
Katie Matsell – The Heiress
Nathaniel Parker – Robert
CREATIVE TEAM
Katherine Moar – Writer
Josh Seymour – Director
Ceci Calf – Set Designer
Tom Paris – Costume Designer
Jamie Platt – Lighting Designer
Lex Kosanke – Sound Designer and Composer
Anjali Mehra – Movement Director
Becky Paris CDG – Casting Director
Aundrea Fudge – Dialect Coach
Tess Dignan – Voice Coach
RAGDOLL
Jermyn Street Theatre
9 October to 15 November 2025
