Verdict is an interesting play, which, had it been written today would undoubtedly have finished at the end of the third act. However, in true Christie and Murder Mystery fashion, we had to watch a fourth act too in order for all the loose ends to be neatly tied; and despite there still being a further plot development in that act (I won't spoil it) it still felt very dated and 'neat'. For a contemporary audience the cliffhanger ending of act 3 was much more dramatic.
So as not to spoil the story for would-be first-timers to this play, suffice to say that it is 1958 and it involves an ageing professor and his wife, exiled from their Eastern European country for their political beliefs, and his niece who travelled with them to look after his wife who suffers from a condition known as disseminated sclerosis and is wheelchair-bound. In this production the role of Professor Karl Hendryk was given to Garrick regular Richard Sails, who gave a very empathetic and natural performance. His wife, Anya, was another familiar face at The Garrick, Ros Greenwood, and her interpretation of the sclerosis-ridden invalid was extremely real, even down to the shaking and wringing of the hands. A more upright and aloofly professional niece could not have been found, and played with skill this evening by Maya Szlachetko.
A gossipy housemaid with light-fingers, Mrs. Roper (Janet Slade) lent an element of comedy to the play; whilst Bill Platt's Dr. Stoner gave the play gravitas and grounding. Also involved and embroiled in this clever plot are two of the professor's students; Lester Cole (Chris Eastwood) a young Romantic, and Helen Rollander, (Megan Ralph) a very rich and glamorous debutante who is used to always getting what she wants, and she has her sights firmly set on the professor.
The smaller roles of Helen's father, Sir William and the Detective Inspector Ogden were played by Johnny Temple and Steve Connolly respectively.
What surprised me the most this evening was the set. A very busy and detailed study in the professor's house, full of books everywhere, and papers strewn all over. French windows led out on the back to a small garden, and the walls and decor was all black, a lovely touch, lending a sense of suspense to the whole. I loved it!
The play was directed by Parissa Zamanpour, and one thing struck me as quite odd about her directing. There were many times when the actors seemed to be positioned quite unnaturally and they were saying their lines directly out to the audience rather than actually acknowledging each other when conversing. The 'blocking' as it is known in the profession became somewhat stilted because of this. Even Anya's wheelchair was brought in to face the audience and not the assembled company.
However, that notwithstanding, the play is highly entertaining and if, like me, you did not know this storyline beforehand, it has a few surprises in store and is kept at a good and steady pace throughout.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 10/9/18
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