A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Verdict

Full-Length Play, Melodrama  /  4w, 6m

An intense and story of love and idealism in two acts.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 6m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

Karl Hendryk, a brilliant professor who, with his wife and her cousin, have fled persecution in their homeland to find themselves ensconced in London. The play concerns itself with the relationships the professor has with the women in his life. His wife, Anya, who is suffering from a progressively debilitating disease, her cousin and carer, Lisa, and Helen Rollander, a spoiled student who takes up private lessons with the professor.  

Not a murder mystery or a whodunnit but a profound and thoughtful piece that deals with the human experience.  Delving deeply into the psychology of relationships and moral philosophy, this is the story of a misguided idealist who loves so intensely it becomes ultimately destructive and unattainable.

History
Verdict opened in the West End at the Strand Theatre in May 1958.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
LESTER COLE
MRS. ROPER
LISA KOLETZKY
PROFESSOR KARL HENDRYK
DR. STONER
ANYA HENDRYK
HELEN ROLLANDER
SIR WILLIAM ROLLANDER
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR OGDEN
POLICE SERGEANT PEARCE
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting The living-room of Professor Hendryk's flat in Bloomsbury. 
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

QUOTES

“It satisfied me completely. I still think it is the best play I have written, with the exception of Witness for the Prosecution." - Agatha Christie

“It was not a detective story or a thriller. It was a play that concerned murder, but its real point was that an idealist is always dangerous; a possible destroyer of those who love him – and poses the question of how far you can sacrifice, those you love, for what you believe in.” - Agatha Christie

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
    This title may have restrictions in place for London based productions. Please submit a licence request to confirm specific availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and, in many languages, outsold only by the Bible and Shake ...

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