Citizen science
The Evidence Chamber
An interactive experience where you become the jury and scrutinise the evidence related to a fictional criminal case.

Active
October 2019
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
14 October 2021 | Festival of the Future, Dundee |
9 July 2021 | Edinburgh Science Festival |
March 2021 | Dundee Women's Festival |
20 November 2020 | National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), online |
3 - 5 November 2020 | International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS), online |
24 September 2020 | Encounters Film Festival, online |
24 July - 9 August 2020 | Online |
19 - 20 October 2019 |
Festival of the Future, Dundee |
Cast and creative team
Writer | Rachel Briscoe |
Director | Dan Barnard |
Computational Artist | Joe McAlister |
Cast | Sabrina Carter, Gillian Lees, Gary Mackay, John Milroy, and Graeme Rooney |
Expert Witnesses | Heather Doran and Paul McFayden |
Additional Content Development | Niamh Nic Daeid, Heather Doran, Chris Hall, and Paul McFadyen |
With thanks to | Kris De Meyer, William Galinsky, and Marianne Maxwell |
Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science
LRCFSPublicEngagement@dundee.ac.uk