Review: Aaron Sorkin's To Kill a Mockingbird adaptation at Sheffield's Lyceum Theatre is essential viewing

But in the Aaron Sorkin adaptation of the 1960 Harper Lee Pulitzer prize-winning book, which has just arrived at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre, the enduring lessons of the novel concerning race, prejudice and the destruction of childhood innocence are intertwined with a more critical analysis of Atticus.

The American deep south in the 1930s, during Jim Crow segregation when sickening racism ran rampant, provides the historical setting for the trial at the story’s core.

Atticus is recruited by the judge in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, to represent black man, Tom Robinson, who has been falsely accused of rape by teenager, Mayella Ewell.

This adaptation of the play teaches us that whilst Atticus can be regarded as fair-minded and progressive for the time in which the play was set, he could, and should, have gone further in stridently challenging the racist attitudes polluting his community - and society as a whole.

Through Jem’s narration in which he questions his father’s moral reasoning, and the more outspoken version of the Finches’ maid Calpurnica, we also see a more nuanced incarnation of Atticus, played masterfully by Richard Coyle.

Andrea Davy’s restrained yet powerful Calpurnica balks at Atticus’ insistence that goodness can be found within everyone, even members of the mob - essentially suggesting “there are very fine people on both sides”; and her palpable anger at his apparent inference that she should be grateful for his defending of the wrongly-accused Tom provide some of the most emotionally-wrought moments of the play.

I would have liked to have seen a more fleshed out depiction of Tom Robinson, although Aaron Shosanya’s wide-eyed performance was still gut-wrenching.

The famous courtroom scenes are split up and woven throughout more of the story, as a result of which, the conflicts that follow feel even more climactic and racked with tension than the original.

Atticus’s flickers of temper, which are sometimes present within this version of the character, particularly during his cross-examination of Mayella, provide an interpretation of the character which feels more flawed and rooted in how a contemporary audience may perceive his actions.

Evie Hargreaves skillfully depicts Mayella’s internal conflict, wringing out as much sympathy as it is possible to feel for such a character.

Scout’s sweet-natured yet curious perspective remains the beating heart of the story. The dynamics between her, Jem and Dill, the vulnerable boy they befriend, offer some much-needed respite from the inherent darkness of the play.

The decision to have the trio of children Scout, Jem and Dill, played by adults is an interesting, but ultimately successful, one.

Anna Munden’s child-like mannerisms are spot-on and she perfectly conveys the grit, fortitude and curiosity that made me - and so many others - fall in love with the character of Scout.

Dylan Malyn’s performance really elevated the character of Dill, which, in a less capable actor’s hands, could feel quite one-note, while Gabriel Scott as Jem, whose narration had the purpose of acting as a stand-in for the audience, was pitch-perfect.

This award-winning Mockingbird adaptation by Sorkin, an Oscar-winning screenwriter, director and playwright best known for the West Wing and Social Network, had a Broadway run which resulted in it becoming the highest-grossing Broadway play in history.

In today’s polarised political climate, the central themes of Mockingbird feel more prescient than they would have done, even a decade ago. It is essential viewing, go and see it if you can.

• To Kill A Mockingbird runs at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre until Saturday, February 7, 2026. Visit https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/ for more information.