The Verdict – Floral Pavilion, New Brighton

A thought-provoking timeless courtroom drama questioning the value of a human life. The audience as the jury has to spin the moral compass, judging the ‘playground of the rich’ where class, status and money attempt to hinder values and honesty.      

Margaret May Hobbs adaption of Barry Reed’s ‘The Verdict’ is brought to life by Middle Ground Theatre Company as part of its National UK/Eire Tour.  Hard-drinking, ambulance chasing, Lawyer Frank Galvin (strongly portrayed by Jason Merrells) is given the chance to resuscitate his fledging career by taking on the biggest case of his life: the Catholic Church, St Catherine’s hospital and their ‘blue blooded’ representatives. Galvin rejects tempting monetary offers for an easy settlement in order to search for the truth by challenging an attempt to cover up an episode of medical malpractice.     

Galvin is a “goldfish amongst the sharks” and with the threat of eviction, failing marriage and career, his risk of rejecting a generous settlement offer means that he cannot lose this high-stake case. Merrells gave an overall solid performance however his sense of urgency and importance could have been a little bit clearer in his portrayal. The strong ensemble successfully grasp a range of characters from offering moments of humour to biting ruthlessness. The humour mostly from Galvin’s mentor, Moe Katz superbly played by Vincent Pirillo and the biting ruthlessness from defense lawyer, J.Edgar Concannon, splendidly depicted by Nigel Barber.   

The play offers humorous one liners and touches on issues still relevant over 40 years since it was written, including class, race, gender and substance misuse.  The age-old story of David vs Goliath between the small man and powerful corporations is prevalent throughout with Galvin fighting for a truth from those who place reputation over the value of life.  

We, the audience, ‘play’ the jury as we’re presented with two opposing sides whilst observing as the court case rolls out some twists and turns which provoke some audible gasps from the audience.   

The naturalistic set design is impressive and the use of the space and lighting is great, making way for seamless scene changes which takes us to different locations within the story.  Frank Galvin’s office and Meehan’s bar (the most decorated and stocked bar I’ve ever seen on stage) are framed by an impressive huge backdrop of a snowy Boston Day.  

The attention to detail in most scenes (for instance the cactus plant in Frank’s office, maybe representing endurance, strength in the face of adversity) unfortunately makes it difficult to ignore the time standing still in another scene (pop a battery in the café clock!) The action in Act Two is framed by a beautifully constructed wooden court room which sits snug on the vast stage underneath the Floral’s proscenium arch.   

The use of soundscapes, music and audio is well used but unfortunately, despite some carefully positioned microphones, some of the actor’s dialogue was lost within the large auditorium.  Luckily most of the actors projected well, however patrons sitting further back may have struggled to hear some of the dialogue without sufficient mics.  

Overall, The Verdict is thought provoking and an absolute joy to watch.   

You can catch The Verdict at the Floral Pavilion until Saturday 11th February  

https://www.floralpavilion.com/

Reviewer:  Gill Lewis  

Reviewed: 7th February 2023 

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★