12 Angry Men by Open Space Theatre: A character study driven by riveting dialogue

As juror number 10 went on a mindless rant driven by his personal misgivings and preconceived beliefs against the less fortunate of his society – the other members of the jury turned away; some even got up from their chairs and would rather face the corners than such a vile man. 

Realising that his buffoonery was on full display, the tone of juror 10's voice would gradually soften, as if he had become a little more introspective, probably embarrassed by his unearned confidence and ingrained prejudices. 

This scene of Reginald Rose's 1957 classic '12 Angry Men' might be one of the most favourite scenes among film buffs. And revisiting it last week in the Experimental Theatre at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy was nothing short of an absolute pleasure.

12 Angry Men, in essence, is a character study and a drama driven by its riveting dialogue. It shows how the deterministic forces of society mould the minds of men and how that may influence the criminal justice system. The Open Space Theatre's adaptation, directed by M Arifur Rahman, remained true to its source material. 

Despite one of its regular cast members pulling out due to Covid symptoms, the ensemble of actors did justice to the story and its characters. Open space theatre aims to revive the culture of watching live plays and given their unceasing efforts in every show, it might not be an impossible dream.

"We started Open Space Theatre to share our love and experience of theatre with our city, and to establish an open platform for everyone to practice theatre," said Mahjabeen Chowdhury, CEO.

This is the 45th overall show by the Open Space Theatre and 30th show of the '12 Angry Men'. We asked Mahjabeen if they are planning to adapt more plays in future. She replied, "This is what we do. We read scripts, and when we fall in love with a script, we bring it to the stage for others to enjoy."

The gates of the Experimental Theatre opened at around 7:30 PM. As we walked into the theatre, we were welcomed by subtle blue lighting focusing on the jurors' table at the centre; accompanied by soft music. The crowd slowly came pouring in and soon the theatre was filled to the brim. 

It was a full house!

The show started with the chime of a bell that introduced the jurors to the stage, setting the events of the play into motion. The lead protagonist, juror number 08, was played by M Arifur Rahman, who also directed Open Space Theatre's version of the timeless classic. 

While all the actors from Open Space Theatre did justice to their characters, juror number 03, played by ASM Mosabbir Tanim, particularly stood out. He played the role of a father disgruntled with his own son, taking it out on the world and particularly on the accused standing trial. 

As he broke down into tears at the climactic stage of the drama, you as an audience member could not help but want to give him a pat on the back, despite his rather obnoxious personality.

Sharif M Tarik played the character of juror number 10; a prejudiced upper-class elite driven by his hatred against the less fortunate of the society. His eccentricity and vigour lent the character and the story a much-needed dynamism and made the eventual mental breakdown even more poignant. 

Another favourite moment from the story was juror number 09's addressing the old men testifying against the accused boy as a mere 'attention seeker', who in the twilight years of his life simply wanted some recognition or purpose of being. Young actor Naveed Rahman, portrayed the character well. 

The iconic moments from the play were portrayed to utter perfection with the help of the classic background music and ambient lighting. Whether it was juror number 08 revealing an identical knife to the one used in the murder, or them realising that the woman next door could not have seen the murder as she had poor eyesight, or simply taking a vote, Ashiqur Rahman Leon (set and light design), M Arifur Rahman (music arrangement) and the duo of Ashraful Islam (lighting) and Abhishek Bhadra (sound) did a sublime job, broadening the tension of each scene.

Regarding the reactions of the audience, Mahjabeen shared, "The audience has shown immense enthusiasm for our shows, showering us with love, recommendations, and repeat visits, even more so after the pandemic. I believe they understand our constant struggle as theatre artists. They have played a big part in reviving Dhaka's theatre culture."

Open Space Theatre usually holds one show of '12 Angry Men' every one or two months. They will come out with their 31st show of 12 Angry Men on 30 July. They will also perform 'Arsenic and Old Lace' by Joseph Kesselring. Their next two shows are scheduled for 26 July.