One room. One verdict. One man's life hanging in the balance — and twelve men.

Tense, complex and thrillingly unpredictable, Twelve Angry Men opened at Leeds Grand Theatre last night.

The award-winning play channels the drama of the courtroom through the 12 anonymous jurors chosen to decide the case, distinct characters whose backgrounds and prejudices are flung together with explosive results.

The atmosphere begins jovially but becomes ever more claustrophobic as the men dissect the evidence, questioning their own judgement and that of those around them.

A clever touch was the rotating set, allowing the deliberations table to move, subtly, bringing characters from shadow into light. The 'tables turned' both in the plot and on the stage.

Reginald Rose's play is a drama of opposition: the calm, thoughtful reasoning of Juror 8 (Tom Conti) pitted against the rising, bubbling fury of Juror 3 (Andrew Lancel). The weakness of a group think mentality versus the strength in standing alone to defend your beliefs. The open mind of young Juror 5 and the paranoid, black-and-white stubbornness of elderly Juror 10.

Conversations escalate into slanging matches and threats, and facts that appear unquestionable can be shrouded in doubt in a few short sentences.

You almost feel part of the jury yourself — as the evidence is analysed, you find yourself taking sides, deciding how you would vote in that stuffy room.

Before the verdict is reached, the tension builds into an unbearable crescendo, with every line spoken, muttered or shouted crucial.

It's a simple premise of 12 jurors, one room and one verdict — but the results are anything but simple.

We never learn the jurors' names, but we discover their prejudices. We never see the accused, but we feel the weight of the decision to condemn or spare him. We never hear the witness testimony, but we judge and analyse it all the same.

It's a gripping, relentless and moving production, with a diverse and talented cast.

Question everything — except your decision to see Twelve Angry Men this week.

Twelve Angry Men is at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday.

Tickets are on sale now, priced £18.50-£34.

To book, visit the website or call the Box Office on 0844 848 2700.