To Kill A Mockingbird – Bord Gáis Energy Theatre – Review
Dates – 10 – 21 February 2026

Find out more about this production here. 

AGE GUIDANCE: Recommended age guidance of 12+. Under 16’s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian aged 18+. No under 3’s permitted in the auditorium.

The story is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression. The main character is Scout (Anna Munden), a six-year-old, living with her older brother Jem (Gabriel Scott) and their widowed father Atticus (Richard Coyle), a middle-aged lawyer. Atticus represents poor farmers, who cannot afford expensive lawyers and is often paid in produce from their farms. When Atticus decides to represent Tom Robinson (Aaron Shosanya), a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, it causes problems in the town, as racial prejudices come to the fore.

The novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ was first published in 1960. It was written by American author Harper Lee and won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize. It is considered a classic of American literature. The book was adapted to the screen in 1962, starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham, and won 3 Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Peck. This new stage version was adapted by Oscar-winning writer Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher. Aaron Sorkin is known for the TV show The West Wing and films such as A Few Good Men, The Social Network, and Steve Jobs. It largely focuses on the courtroom drama, as we hear the events involving Tom Robinson and the woman who has accused him of the crime.

While the original text is over 60 years old, the work is still of much relevance as it discusses racial prejudice and discrimination, which are major issues today. One interesting facet of the work is the repeated use of the ‘n’ word, which is unusual to hear on stage. It does have an impact to hear it said, but it is part of the original source material, written in a different era.

This is clearly a large and impressive production, with 19 cast members on stage and elaborate sets throughout. The scenes shift from the courtroom to Atticus’s suburban residence, and beyond. The staging feels lavish and the sets are well constructed. The touring production is in Dublin until the 21st of Feb and then travels to nine other venues around the UK.

The text by Aaron Sorkin moves the audience between the harsh court room scenes and the more upbeat moments of the children enjoying their summer holidays and their battles with their neighbours. It’s the juxtaposition of these more lightheatred moments that keeps the production moving. The three actors playing the children, Anna Munden (Scout), Gabriel Scott (Jem)and Dill (Dlyan Malyn), while all being adults capture the movement and excitement of childhood summers, and also allow the audience to see the events going on in the adult world through the eyes of an innocent. For those that know and love the book, this is a chance to see an entertaining new production bringing the world to life.