Judgement call

This one-woman monologue was written by playwright and employment lawyer Shona Newmark and performed by the mesmerising Hilary Cordery (who I thought was a full-time actor, but she is also an employment lawyer) at the London offices of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. It has also been performed at Skye Bridge Studios, the Edinburgh Fringe, Bromley Little Theatre, Union Theatre in London and Edward Alderton Theatre in Bexleyheath. 

The performance was followed by a panel discussion (pictured) moderated by Emma Williams, general counsel at Simmons & Simmons and chair of LawCare. Newmark and Cordery were joined by Colin Leckey, partner at Lewis Silkin, Florence Brocklesby, founder of Bellevue Law and Andrew Taggart, partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, who discussed the challenges presented by complex, nuanced cases as organisations increasingly adopt zero-tolerance policies for sexual harassment.

"This performance was for one night only, but I hope it is repeated elsewhere – perhaps at another firm or at a law school, as it is a great learning experience. It is sharp, funny, sometimes uncomfortable, and certainly thought-provoking", the author writes.