Before Bob Woffinden and James Plaskett’s 2015 book Bad Show: The Quiz, the Cough, the Millionaire Major, one would have been hard pressed to find anybody that believed Charles Ingram was innocent. Clear as day, it seemed. Caught red-handed was the obvious cry. Lock stock and barrel for 14 years. But were the Ingrams just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
James Graham’s Quiz explores how a coughing scandal caught a nation’s attention. Goodness, imagine if this was in the age of social media? Perhaps something else as ludicrous might have taken place and wiped the minds of the audience in a heartbeat. It is exactly that, though. Scheduled television in its heyday with millions of viewers tuning in at that exact moment. No Sky record functionality, or ITV Hub streaming service, or 60-second videos on TikTok.
Revived by Chichester Festival Theatre and embarking on its maiden nationwide tour (which was postponed in 2020 for obvious reasons), Quiz is a pure, nostalgic throwback.
The play employs a shift in narrative compared to the television drama produced three years after its 2017 première at Chichester Festival Theatre. It’s very The Social Network in its structure, driving a non-linear story back and forth between the infamous recording on 10 September 2001 and court proceedings at Southwark Crown Court two years on. There’s a sprinkling of back-story, too, as we learn about the show’s inception and a group of frustrated “middle-aged men” called ‘The Syndicate’.
Graham’s ability to shift perspectives and allow an audience to dive into a world seems effortless. Much is written about his prolificness and output quality, but his style of storytelling is easily consumed and balances the difficult, real-life stories with wit and light-hearted relief. It’s clear why he is one of the most sought-after writers in the UK.
Lewis Reeves and Charley Webb (in her stage debut) star as Charles and Diana Ingram respectively. The pair do a fine job, with Webb ensuring a second gig on stage isn’t far away. Mark Benton, in various roles, is delightful in providing many of the punchlines and humour throughout. It’s a terrific production, albeit a smaller, less intimate version of the one at the Noël Coward Theatre when it transferred to London. The synchronicity needs to be on point throughout—and the backstage team succeed brilliantly in doing so.
The audience are invited to offer their verdict following an examination of both sides: guilty or not guilty? Every show, they can decide for themselves as the discussion continues around this infamous contestant. Get your keypads ready.