Verdict

Synopsis

Opened at the Strand Theatre in London on 22 May 1958. Karl is caught between his love for his invalid wife and her sister while himself being the subject of a student infatuation. While the audience sees the murder the real suspense is in whether the guilty will get away with it.

Our Review:

Karen Bussell - 7 February 2011

The only real mystery in The Verdict is why The Agatha Christie Theatre Company chose this play to take on tour.

Instead of an iconic a good old whodunnit romp with brain-teasing twists and turns, the murder takes place in full view and, instead of a tale of clever detection, there follows a morality saga about the foolishness of kindness.

Professor Karl Hendryk (Cornishman Robert Duncan best known as Gus in Drop The Dead Donkey) has fled persecution in an unnamed European country where nobly assisting the family of a friend has put his life in danger. He is now ensconced in a London university where he is revered by students and has become a respected member of society but whose high principles mean scraping by on a low income.

But it is when he switches high principles for a seemingly greater good that things go tragically wrong.

His invalid wife Anya (Casualty’s Cassie Raine) is not so content. She bemoans the loss of her house and ...

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