Verdict, Agatha Christie’s last play written in 1958, is a complete departure from her usual whodunnits.

The audience sees the murder committed and hears the motive revealed as Christie dwells more on morals, love and psychology than on clues and detection.

Her thought-provoking play gets off to a ponderous start but is eventually brought to life by a strong cast headed by Robert Duncan from Drop The Dead Donkey, former 1960s pop idol Mark Wynter, Peter Byrne (Dixon Of Dock Green) and late addition Susan Penhaligon (A Bouquet Of Barbed Wire).

The murder of the invalided Anya (Cassie Raine) has devastating repercussions for her husband, idealistic German professor Karl Hendryk (Duncan), and her devoted carer Lisa (Penhaligon).

Duncan deals superbly with a role demanding plenty of emotion, while Penhaligon, Wynter (as Anya’s doctor) and Byrne (as the wealthy Sir William) also excel.

But Holly Goss struggles with her portrayal of spoilt student Helen, a conniving temptress who rides roughshod over everyone to get her own way. Andrew Malkin also lacks conviction as the cynical detective inspector.

Fortunately, the impressive set of Professor Hendryk’s Bloomsbury flat, complete with shelves stacked full of books, helps to provide the right atmosphere.