THE TRIAL OF ROMEO OSCAR is Now Playing at Stephen Joseph Theatre

The Stephen Joseph Theatre's production of Alan Ayckbourn's 92nd play, The Trial of Romeo Oscar, has opened and runs until 3 October. The cast – Elizabeth Boag, Frances Marshall, Russell Richardson, Richard Stacey, Leigh Symonds, Hayden Wood and Olivia Woolhouse – are directed by the author.

The show takes us to the year 2194: humanity is scattered around the solar system and day-to-day life on earth looks very different.

Preparations are underway for a landmark legal case. Romeo Oscar, a military issue android, is on trial for murder: the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. The circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear and the evidence is polarising.

This courtroom drama explores a question that artists have been pursuing for centuries – what makes us human?

Alan Ayckbourn says: “When you reach my age, you really only have the choice as a writer of either looking back or moving forward. At the moment, I'm sort of swinging between past and future with each play. But where we're going, particularly with AI, is always interesting. I don't think it's a bad thing. Look at Shakespeare, he went into complete fantasy and was none the worse for that!”

The Trial of Romeo Oscar is designed by Kevin Jenkins, with lighting design by Mark 'Tigger' Johnson. The Associate Sound Designer is Ernest Acquah and the Wardrobe Supervisor is Julia Perry-Mook. The Casting Director is Sarah Hughes CDG.