Post Office scandal retold in new play backed by University

A slice of the scandal that saw more than 700 Post Office workers wrongfully convicted for dishonesty is coming to Reading this summer in the form of a theatre production.

‘Glitch’ is a new play commissioned by the University of Reading set to debut in June. In development since 2022, the play is written by local playwright Zannah Kearns and follows the life of Pam Stubbs, a subpostmistress from Barkham who was impacted by the Post Office scandal in the late 2000s.

The play was produced by Reading-based theatre company RABBLE with assistance from the University of Reading’s School of Law and department of Film, Theatre & Television.

Associate Professor Elizabeth Conaghan, a University of Reading law expert who helped create the production, said: “It’s fantastic to have had so many of us come together to tell a story about one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in English legal history.

“Pam Stubbs has been a stalwart of the Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance and we have worked closely with her to tell a story that will have a profound effect on everyone who hears it.”

Making sense of the law through theatre

‘Glitch’ follows the story of Barkham subpostmistress Pam Stubbs, whose problems with the faulty Horizon accounting software used by Post Office workers began in 2009.

The broken technology suggested Mrs Stubbs had a shortfall in her takings, leading Post Office bosses to believe she had stolen from the company. She was suspended as a subpostmistress but evidence saved by Mrs Stubbs showed she was innocent and her name was cleared.

The play is co-produced by staff in the University of Reading’s department of Film, Theatre & Television (FTT). RABBLE Theatre and FTT students collaborated with the University’s School of Law to develop the play through a series of activities over the academic year.

The production offers the opportunity for students across the University to engage with a local story of national significance with an award-winning theatre company.

Safiya, a University law student involved in the production, said: “When I learn about law cases I usually read them from a text book, but learning about a case from a theatre perspective has made it much more personal to me and easier to understand.”

Tickets on sale now

‘Glitch’ is funded by the University of Reading’s School of Law, Arts Committee and the Vice Chancellor’s Community Fund is co-produced by with the department of Film, Theatre & Television.

It debuts at the University’s Minghella Theatre on Thursday, 27 June and runs to Saturday, 6 July. Tickets are available to buy now.

Among the performance dates is a post-show Q&A with the play’s heroine, Pam Stubbs, who will be answering audience questions, alongside writer Zannah Kearns, directors Gemma Colclough and Gareth Taylor and the cast.