The Jury Experience - Frankenstein on Trial: The Man Who Defied God

A games and mysteries outing at the Shaw Theatre in which the audience sits as the jury in a courtroom case inspired by Frankenstein, deciding the verdict together.

This outing is a courtroom-style mystery in which the audience takes the place of the jury. Over roughly an hour, testimony and evidence are presented at the Shaw Theatre, and the case centres on Dr Victor Frankenstein, who stands accused over a run of deaths that followed his forbidden experiment. Within the story, the creature he assembled from human remains has already been found guilty of murder, so the question before the jury is whether the scientist himself should be held responsible for what his creation went on to do.

Jurors are asked to vote at key moments, and those choices open or close hidden lines of inquiry, so the route through the case can differ from one session to the next. Attendees follow each witness account, compare the contradictions that emerge, and weigh the arguments before reaching a single verdict of guilty or not guilty. The format is spoken and theatrical rather than a meal or a package with food, and no dinner or boarding is involved.

It suits people who enjoy puzzles, deduction and debate, including groups of friends who like to argue a case together, as well as visitors who want a seated, story-led evening of collective decision-making. The show is staged by the Shaw Theatre, which is accessible to wheelchair users.