Trial by Laughter, Chichester Festival Theatre, review: ‘The jokes have not aged that well’

By James Butler

Published 5th Feb 2019, 08:41 BST

Updated 7th Feb 2019, 20:42 BST

Trial by Laughter is at Chichester Festival Theatre until February 9.

The year is 1817, and satirist and publisher William Hone stands trial for blasphemy and libel for parodying biblical texts – a smokescreen for the Prince Regent to silence the man who had long mocked him for being fat.

He is charged and acquitted by jury three times in as many days, each enraging the portly Prince George more than the last.

How does Mr Hone do it? By making the jurors see the funny side.