Reviewed by Beth at Derby Theatre
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.
Theatre enriches our lives in so many ways. It can often bring escapism, joy and laughter or even
a tear. For me, when Theatre is at its most powerful, it brings a spotlight to important real issues,
reflecting back on society to an audience and making them think about real issues. Rabble Theatre -
a charity based in Reading - seeks to do just that, using theatre for education about important
social issues. In their latest production, Glitch at Derby Theatre, they bring a powerful and
impactful public discourse about the Post Office scandal that has spanned over fifteen years and
yet is only now getting the public attention it so desperately needs. This play encourages us to
question systematic corruption and media influence (something more important than ever in the
new digital age of misinformation) as well as shining the spotlight on some truly harrowing and
personal true stories.
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| Photo by Tony Bartholomew Photography. |
As our one act play begins, we are introduced to subpostmaster Pam Stubbs, who runs her
local Post Office following the passing of her husband. An experienced and trustworthy member
at the heart of the community, Pam starts to experience issues with the modern computer system
provided by the Post Office, bringing discrepancies and money losses of increasing severity.
Pam desperately tries to seek help for this but is constantly gas lit and brushed off, accused of
malpractice or of simply not understanding. Whilst her story unfolds, we are also introduced to
several other victims with their own stories to tell including one young woman who is sentenced
to six months in prison for fraud she didn’t commit and the poor wife of a man who sadly took his
own life because of the stresses and stigma unfairly attached to him. As Pam’s central story
unravels, we see her lose her livelihood and even friends as a result of the callous actions of the
establishment. We see the long term impact of these cruel actions over the years, affecting the lives
of so many, until collective action begins to be taken, led by Mr Banks once subpostmasters begin
to band together. The latter part of our play sees these battles and court cases unfold, and the
struggles that are still ongoing to reap appropriate compensation and exoneration. We are
thankful to see Pam finally get the compensation she deserves, and yet are reminded that for
many this battle is ongoing. We are also reminded that much of the support for these victims
came only after ITV’s drama in 2024, some 14 years after these issues began to unfold. In a
moving monologue at the show’s conclusion, we are reminded that whilst many people have been
financially supported now, entire lives have been ruined. Marriage breakdowns, financial ruin,
home remortgaging, child custody issues and thirteen tragic suicides all because of technical
fault, systematic failing and outright lying to protect reputation at any human cost. As an
audience, we are left enraged and demanding justice, which will never come close to undoing the
damage caused by such a wide-scale travesty. A public issue, which until only recently was private
and unadvertised and a rally call for social justice and critical thinking.
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| Photo by Tony Bartholomew Photography. |
With such a small cast of only four, this troupe did an incredible job of creating such stirring social
commentary and reflecting the lives of real people, never an easy task! Joanne Howarth takes
centre stage as Pam Stubbs, showing her resilience and powerful determination with conviction.
By the end of the play, she had audience members nodding and verbally responding with
agreement in her tear-jerking closing speech - she truly had everyone on side and some (me) in
tears. Howarth’s character portrayal had grit and showed her to be a nuanced character but
someone inspiring as well as down to earth. In multiple supporting roles, Laura Penneycard gave
a strong performance. In particular, her monologue as the imprisoned young subpostmaster
showed a real spiral in mental health and packed an emotional punch in conveying the message
of the show. Also in a plethora of supporting roles were Naveed Khan and Sabina Netherclift, who
both again managed to create 3D moments and reflect real experiences in an emotional and
clever way.
The impact of this play cannot be questioned. It is educational and yet so moving, asking us as an
audience to reflect and think critically about what we as the general public are told. It reminds us
how easily we as a society can be swayed and stigmas can be created and stirs us to demand
justice from a system that constantly seeks to fail or disregard the human experience. Zannah
Kearns’ writing, paired with wonderful direction by Gareth Taylor and a talented cast, proves why the
Arts are so important and must be protected at all costs. Whether you’ve seen the ITV drama or
this is the first you are hearing of the scandal, I’d recommend everyone get themself a ticket!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Glitch plays at Derby Theatre until Saturday 7th March. Tickets are available from https://derbytheatre.co.uk/event/glitch/
The show continues on a national run until 17th April. For venues and dates, visit https://rabbletheatre.com/glitch-the-true-story-of-the-post-office-scandal/
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| Photo by Tony Bartholomew Photography. |
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