Verdict

An intense story of love and idealism in two acts

Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Cast size: 10

Synopsis

Verdict
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.

Play information

Location
The action of the play passes in the living room of Professor Hendryk’s flat in Bloomsbury.
Running time
2 hours 10 minutes

Character list

  • Number of male characters: 6
  • Number of female characters: 4
  • Lester Cole
  • Mrs. Roper
  • Lisa Koletzky
  • Professor Karl Hendryk
  • Dr. Stoner
  • Anya Hendryk
  • Helen Rollander
  • Sir William Rollander
  • Detective Inspector Ogden
  • Police Sergeant Pearce

Performing this play

More about this play

One of only a few Christie plays written directly for the stage and not adapted from an underlying story, Verdict opened in the West End at the Strand Theatre in May 1958.