Agatha Christie's Verdict

Although there is a murder, Verdict is a melodrama and not a whodunit.  During the ‘50’s in a Bloomsbury flat brilliant Professor Karl Hendryk resides with his wife and cousin having been driven from their beloved unnamed country of persecution. Anya is worsening and Lisa is her carer.  There are suppressed feelings between the Professor and Lisa and more complications arise when wealthy young female student is insistent on private lessons. Iris’s love of Christie set her a challenge with this wordy and highly emotional script, her ten cast members rose to the occasion and the complex plot unfurled.  The set captured a 1950’s fully furnished living room with immense attention to detail, good entry doors and windows well dressed.  Even a set of china birds appeared above the red pelmet of the curtains. Designed by Andy Leslie, the construction and finish was a credit. Costumes were simple and neat of the era as were the hairstyles. A particularly good French pleat for Lisa was perfect for her typical black side hat.  Barbara Gray the perfect housekeeper Mrs Roper, wielding her hoover, ever pinching cigarettes and supplying her husband with tea, brought a lighter side. Jack Huxley played the devoted student and enjoyed books so readily loaned to him. Steve Bowen was perfect as the complex character of the Professor, with a huge script to keep flowing whilst maintaining his accent.  Vanessa Yeandle likewise discovered Lisa’s character and kept her accent through an emotional performance.  Erica Curtis had a difficult part to play from a wheelchair negotiating around the stage.  John Roberts worked hard playing the concerned Doctor, whilst Hannah Ridley got stuck into her brazen young miss part becoming the cold hearted murderess.  Supported in cameo roles were Andy Clarke, Mark Perrian and Steve Coles, with ensured smooth running from the technical and production team.

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