Crime writer Val McDermid joins jury for new online whodunnit

Crime writer Val McDermid is joining an online jury for a new show.

The Kirkcaldy-born, award winning author takes on the different role as part of The Evidence Chamber - a piece of interactive theatre which has won rave reviews.

Val will be joined by fellow crime writers Oyinkan Braithwaite and Craig Robertson in the jury box to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused in a murder trial.

Members of the public will also have the opportunity to be part of the jury.

The whodunnit was launched at Dundee University’s Festival of the Future in 2019 when participants gathered in a real jury deliberation room.

Co-developed at the university’s Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS), it has moved online to broadcast to a much wider audience.

‘The Evidence Chamber’ was designed to raise questions about how people respond to the communication of different types of evidence and how their preconceptions can affect decisions, by allowing members of the public to play the role of juror in a murder trial.

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The story is based around a celebrated human rights activist who is found dead at her home. Electrical goods are missing from her office, but the suspect, swears he wasn’t there.

Val and her fellow writers will watch the testimonies and scrutinise the evidence before debating them with jurors and reach their verdict when the show stages its premiere on Thursday (July 23).

Members of the public will be able to take their place in the virtual jury box from the following day.

Val said: “What goes on behind the closed doors of a jury room is constantly intriguing. We've all been astonished by verdicts. For me, having the inside track on weighing the evidence will be a real treat.”

The Evidence Chamber takes place at various times from Friday 24th until Thursday August. 8. Participation is limited to 12 people per show and tickets, costing £5-£12, can be purchased via Eventbrite.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-evidence-chamber-tickets-109018615614

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