Thursday 19 October 2017

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Friday 7 April 2017

Theatre Review 1: The Verdict, produced by Middle Ground Theatre Company (2017)

Courtroom dramas are nearly ten a penny, in today’s media landscape, but few are as good, or as brilliantly characterised as The Verdict by Barry Reed. I confess The Verdict had passed me by up to this point, so when Hospital Radio Chelmsford asked me to represent them during Tuesday’s performance at Chelmsford’s Civic Theatre, I was very intrigued and excited to find out what this modern literary classic had to offer.

The Verdict tells the story of Frank Galvin, a Lawyer in his declining years, coming across a case of medical malpractice and potential cover-up, where a pregnant woman, Deborah Ann nearly dies and falls into a permanent coma, during a botched delivery of her child. After visiting Deborah, and receiving an attempted pay-out (bribe) from the Church responsible for the Hospital, Galvin is determined to give the poor Woman a voice, and stand up for what is right. Joined by his dear friend and mentor Moe Katz, Galvin takes on both the Church and the establishment, in a desperate fight for justice, in possibly his best, and last chance in his career to make a difference.

Barry Reed’s story is a very powerful and compelling one, where nearly every character is flawed, and nobody finishes the play emotionally unscathed. The Verdict is not unlike the more famous A Few Good Men, in that it’s almost as much of a Western as a Courtroom drama – a real David and Goliath story, where the stakes are high, and there’s tense standoffs in the Court. The key difference here, other than the setting, is that The Verdict’s characters are more recognisable as people we encounter in everyday life and closer to home. They also paint a brilliant picture and dystopian reflection of late 1970s Urban America (the play takes place in 1980). Everybody in the play is still living their life as they did in the 50s and 60s, only the hope, optimism and ideals have faded. The dream has become rotten, and the World is a very cynical place. This is also superbly reflected in the set design by Michael Lunney for Middle Ground Theatre Company’s production, which I’ll come on to later.

Amongst this cynicism enters Frank Galvin, perhaps one of the few Lawyers, who still believes in the goodness of people, but his tiredness of life, and loveless marriage gives him an easy excuse to indulge his staunch alcoholism. Galvin’s unerring faith in human nature, makes him susceptible to numerous deceptions throughout the play, but his faith, in the end is eventually rewarded.

Given the subject matter, the play is very emotionally-charged, and tense, but there’s also wonderful moments of dry wit, which lift the script in many of the right places. However, I confess I did find the structure of the narrative, slightly unbalanced in the second half of the play, with little respite between the weighty Courtroom scenes. Nevertheless, the authenticity of Barry Reed’s work is a huge strength, and makes its drama, all the more powerful. The strict facts of the Court case, are also nicely contrasted in their interpretation by the lively and larger-than-life Lawyers Galvin, and his uncompromising opponent, Concannon.

Despite the happy resolution of the Court case though, there remains a bitter reminder to the viewer, that despite justice having been done, there’s still little justice in the World of 1980. All of the Women characters in the play have their lives wrecked, neglected or manipulated, in this very male dominated landscape. Firstly, and most obviously, there’s the unseen victim, Deborah Ann; then there’s Galvin’s own unloved wife; the nurses who saw in Deborah’s child birth are either intimidated into silence or struck off, and even successful Women who try to further their careers, are forced into traps of vice and betrayal, by Men who control them for their own ends. It’s a final, unpleasant twist, but one that sadly rings true, even in some aspects of the present day.

Given how compelling a story The Verdict is then, it’s surprising that it has never been adapted for Theatre until now. Margaret May Hobbs adapted the script, and has very deftly condensed most of the action to three major locations, and also kept far more faithful to the original text, than the 1982 film version, which I viewed after seeing this magnificent Theatre production. To my mind, Middle Ground Theatre Company has produced the best version I know of to date, far more energetic than the Film, greatly entertaining, and with an outstanding cast.

Clive Mantle shines, portraying Frank Galvin as a sympathetic loveable rogue with a hidden steely resolve that breaks out as the case gets tougher. Mantle also brings great pathos, a welcome warmth and heart, and superb comic timing, to a role that could so easy have fallen into earnestness. Mantle is wonderfully supported by many expert hands, including one of Britain’s finest ever character actors, Jack Shepherd, who plays Galvin’s friend and Mentor, Moe Katz. Jack Shepherd’s Katz is both subtle and wily, played as the eternally loyal pragmatist. Katz is comic relief from time to time, but to describe him as such does him a huge disservice, because he’s also very intuitive, seeing through the mist of red tape on several occasions, and masterminding some of Galvin’s winning moves in the trial.


Completing Galvin’s extended family are Michael Lunney’s fun and down-to-earth bar manager Eugene Meehan (Lunney also doubles up as Dr. Daniel Crowley), and Cassie Bancroft’s kind, sincere, magnetic, but ultimately conflicted Donna St. Laurent. Donna, was originally written as a Fem-fatale, but I’m glad that aspect was played down in this production, even if Galvin ends up seeing her as such. Bancroft keeps Donna as a genuine, sweet soul, who becomes entrapped and torn apart by the machinations of others.

Peter Harding, is impressive as Galvin’s vain and ruthless opponent in court, Concannon; selling his cold World-view, and calculated tactics with a charming twinkle in his performance. Okon Jones goes one step further, providing the sharp-witted and no-nonsense Dr. Lionel Thompson, with a wry sarcasm that lifts many of the scenes he appears in. Once again, it’s a welcome dose of character in the interpretation, which seems seriously lacking in other variations of The Verdict. I should also give out additional praise to Nuala Walsh’s mournful and intense Mrs McDaid, and Eugenia Caruso’s nervous and troubled Natalie Stampanatto; both of whom leave huge impressions during their short time in the spotlight.


The set design is very convincing, and like all the best sets, gives the impression it’s been “lived in”, rather than constructed. The Court set in particular, is grand and imposing, and immediately sets the scene before any door is opened. The set combined with the atmospheric lighting, really helps to sell the play as an American period piece. The most beautiful, and surprising aspect of the whole production though, was the original music soundtrack, composed by Lynette Webster. So many American dramas, and courtroom dramas at that, fall into the trap of playing mournful, almost militaristic-like Brass music, which pigeonholes the production almost immediately. So when I heard the soulful, folk-inspired string themes played, I knew I was in for something special. My favourite pet theory, was that the music was the unspoken voice of missing comatose plaintiff, Deborah Ann, seeing over events. I digress though, the different folk sound, almost harks back to the traditional American music of the 1800s, like it was a call to arms, or a calling for Frank Galvin to make a stand.
All in all, Middle Ground Theatre Company’s The Verdict has been the best play, I’ve seen in years, and I feel immensely lucky to get the chance to see Theatre of this calibre in Chelmsford. Considering this is a World tour, I think the cast and crew deserve many plaudits for working so hard to provide first class Drama entertainment to so many people. So if the Civic Theatre are wondering whether to feature more drama productions, particularly of those by Middle Ground Theatre Company, I would say, sign them up!
Score: 9/10
P.S. Although the run at Chelmsford's Civic Theatre is now at an end, there is a further run of The Verdict at the Palace Theatre, Southend-On-Sea, from Tuesday 25th to Saturday 29th April 2017.
For more info visit:
http://www.middlegroundtheatre.co.uk/Wordpress/the-verdict/

Thursday 6 April 2017

Back in Action...sort..of?

Ouch, two years away. Well, hopefully future updates won't take so long. Be right back...