Phoenix kick off Rotherham Civic's 60th celebrations with thriller

Phoenix Players are back at the Civic with a Christie’s Verdict from January 20 to 24.

A break from the novelist’s standard mould, it was written as a stage play rather than a book and is more of a melodrama than a whodunnit.

Set in the 1950s, the plot circles around the ominous presence of the hangman’s noose, and is a great excuse for Phoenix to dig out some genuine period props from their store. 

Its focus is gifted professor Karl Hendryk and his family, who have fled persecution in their country, much to his wife’s regret, and the ripples in their existence caused by a rich young student.

Verdict is the group’s first show of 2020, during which the Civic will celebrate its 60th anniversary. 

Show director Neil Mather said: “We are very proud to have been at the Civic from when it opened, and still going at its 60th year.

“As Verdict is a play rather than a novel, we are sure that few in the audience will know the outcome.”

Tickets priced at £9.50 are available from the Civic, on 01709 823621 or from www.rotherhamtheatres.co.uk.