Stephen Campbell Moore admits his character in courtroom drama Consent has tested his faith in the legal profession.
Written by Nina Raine, the play begins with two barrister friends who find themselves on opposite sides of a rape trial. Campbell Moore’s character Ed wins the case — but after his marriage falls apart he is himself accused of rape by his wife Kitty, played by Claudie Blakley.
He told the Standard: “Ed’s understanding of himself at the beginning is that it’s important for the law to be objective and to give a defence to somebody who may be guilty. It’s the best and most just system that we have, but in arguing his points again and again he becomes colder and colder.”
Campbell Moore, who recently separated from The Crown star Claire Foy, said he had “instinctively felt it was a great play” and that there was “an ancient Greek quality” to it.
Raine told the Standard: “The justice system can be a very blunt instrument. I’m interested in the tools which barristers use to test people’s testimonies, which aren’t actually fair. They ask people questions about their recall of events, but we’re human beings and we don’t have perfect recall.”
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Producer Sonia Friedman said the nature of consent is at the heart of the play. “Nina managed to take the legal grey areas within the area of consent and make it into a fully fledged drama.”
Consent, directed by Roger Michell, is on at the Harold Pinter theatre until August 11.
