The Murder of Mary Jones

INTRODUCTION

This is a court in England. The people in the court are trying to answer a question – did Simon Clark and Dan Smith kill Mary Jones, or not? It is a very important question, because in Britain, murderers usually go to prison for life. You can see a picture of the court on page 2. Simon and Dan are there, with two policemen, the judge, the clerk of the court, two lawyers, and the twelve people in the jury. Witnesses come to the witness box, and the lawyers and the judge ask them questions. The jury do not say anything, but they listen carefully. At the end, they must answer the question – are Simon and Dan guilty of murder, or not guilty?

There are two possible endings to the play, Scene 4 (Alternative 1) and Scene 4 (Alternativ

It is summer time in an English holiday town. A young girl lies dead on the beach. Who killed her? Was it Simon and Dan, the two young men who met her, and danced with her, at the disco that night? They sometimes steal cars, but are they guilty of murder?
What really happened that night at the disco? There are witnesses who say that there was a fight. Who followed Mary when she left? Was she alone? And what about Mary’s boyfriend, Jim? Did he really love her? Perhaps he was a little jealous, and angry …
The court needs to find answers to all these questions, because murder is a very serious crime, and murderers are often sent to prison for life.