Many of you may recall the ‘coughing scandal’ that hit the headlines after a contestant on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ was taken to court for allegedly cheating his way to a million pounds.
Last week, the College Play, Quiz, directed by Director of Drama, Victoria Buse, revisited this very scandal. The play delves deeper into the court case that found Charles and Diana Ingram, and Tecwen Whittock, guilty, exposing how the production company, Celador, manipulated recordings in order to present their version of the ‘truth’.
The company, made up of 40 cast members and 13 crew, brilliantly brought the court case to life, flashing between past and present, and Southwark Crown Court and Upavon. The show has a playful and fast-paced structure, with many nostalgic references to popular 90s gameshows, with a splash of audience interaction. At the end of Act One, the Ingrams are found guilty, but the audience then get a chance to change the fate of the Ingrams, after hearing the Defence’s version of events.
One member of the audience said, “I’m now questioning my memories of the whole affair, I was sure that they [the Ingrams] were guilty of the coughing thing but now I’m doubting it!” – and that is the whole point of the play!
