Citizen science

The Evidence Chamber

An interactive experience where you become the jury and scrutinise the evidence related to a fictional criminal case.

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Status

Active

Start date

October 2019

Completion date

March 2022

About

There’s been a murder. The police have a suspect but the evidence doesn’t paint a clear picture.

In an online jury deliberation room, you watch the testimonies, scrutinise the evidence, discuss with your fellow jurors – and reach your verdict. The decision you make will change someone’s life: what verdict will you choose?

If you’re a fan of crime fiction or true crime, this is the show for you. The Evidence Chamber is a collaboration between forensic scientists at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science and digital story studio Fast Familiar.

Content Warning: The Evidence Chamber contains strong language and a reference to domestic violence.

Instructions

If you would like to organise a session of The Evidence Chamber please get in touch. 

The Evidence Chamber involves twelve (English system) or fifteen (Scottish system) players who make up a jury that must review documents and audio and video evidence to reach a verdict on a murder case which hinges on two types of forensic evidence: gait analysis and DNA.

The audience watches ‘testimonies’ from characters involved and expert witnesses. Their decision-making process is supported by explanatory materials about forensic evidence. The experience is structured to measure the impact of these materials: the bespoke control system logs anonymised data on each juror’s decision-making process. A post-verdict debrief allows audiences to deepen their understanding of forensic processes and criminal justice procedures.

Critical coverage

“An especially successful way for theater to be enjoyed from a laptop.” - New York Times

“An enlightening experience.” - BBC Scotland

“Guilty of greatness - The Evidence Chamber uses masterful storytelling, excellent production value, and a slick, user-friendly custom interface to create a believable and immersive environment for its players.” - No Proscenium

“Tremendously entertaining as well as a fascinating insight into how trials work.” - The Courier

“The 2020 theatre awards ceremonies have largely been cancelled … But, if prizes are given for lockdown drama, Fast Familiar should get a trophy for The Evidence Chamber and Smoking Gun – enjoyable but also scholarly entertainments. This is a company to watch, whether digitally or, when it again becomes possible, in person.” - Mark Lawson, The Tablet

Past dates

December 2023Boomerang Community Centre, Dundee
November 2023TechFest Science Festival, Aberdeen
October 2023Royal Society Lates, London
22 October 2023REACH Tayside Group, Dundee
June 2023Cheltenham Science Festival, Cheltenham
6 June 2023Beehive Group, Menzieshill Community Centre, Dundee
25 Jan 2023Monifieth High School, Angus
October 2022Festival of the Future, Dundee
13 September 2022REACH Tayside Group, Dundee
14 October 2021Festival of the Future, Dundee
9 July 2021Edinburgh Science Festival
March 2021Dundee Women's Festival
20 November 2020National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), online
3 - 5 November 2020International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS), online
24 September 2020Encounters Film Festival, online
24 July - 9 August 2020Online
19 - 20 October 2019Festival of the Future, Dundee

Cast and creative team

WriterRachel Briscoe
DirectorDan Barnard
Computational ArtistJoe McAlister
CastSabrina Carter, Gillian Lees, Gary Mackay, John Milroy, and Graeme Rooney
Expert WitnessesHeather Doran and Paul McFayden
Additional Content DevelopmentNiamh Nic Daeid, Heather Doran, Chris Hall, and Paul McFadyen
With thanks toKris De Meyer, William Galinsky, and Marianne Maxwell

 

Enquiries

Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science

LRCFSPublicEngagement@dundee.ac.uk