Chilling Verdict from the 'Queen of Crime' (From Gazette Series)

Review: Verdict, The Theatre Royal, Bath

10:16am Tuesday 1st February 2011 in Leisure By Alexandra Womack

A CRIME of passion or a calculated killer? The premise of Agatha Christie’s Verdict is spine chilling but believable.

Acclaimed scholar Professor Hendryk (Robert Duncan) has been forced to flee his native land with his invalid wife Anya (Cassie Raine) who hates the dreariness of London. They live as unassuming life with Anya’s sister Lisa (Dawn Steele) and their very British housemaid (Elizabeth Power) but their world is rocked when the spoilt and stubborn Helen (Ali Bastian) demands the professor takes her on as his latest protege.

Unable to cope with the professor’s unrequited love and determined to get what she wants, Helen gives his beloved wife a fatal dose and the aftermath of her wicked actions promptly unfold.

Packed with tension and drama, the professor goes on a personal moral journey as Lisa is arrested for the crime and her verdict awaits. Their secret love revealed, will the jury believe Lisa or sentence her to death?

Dawn Steele provides an impeccable accent and wins the hearts of the audience in her final monologue. Ali Bastian, who starred in the 2009 series of Strictly Come Dancing, is also impressive and Robert Duncan combines authority with is character’s misguided look at life.

This is the sixth production by the Agatha Christie Theatre Company and certainly does justice to one of the greatest ever crime writers.