Courtroom thriller The Verdict is at Malvern Theatres this week (June 6 to 10).

Starring Jason Merrells, Richard Walsh and Reanne Farley, the powerful bestselling courtroom drama is inspired by the multi Academy Award-Nominated film starring Paul Newman.

Jason Merrells is known to millions for his roles in Agatha Raisin, Emmerdale, Casualty, Waterloo Road, Happy Valley and many more.

Here he talks about his latest role, as veteran lawyer Frank Galvin in the touring theatre production of The Verdict, a role made famous by Paul Newman in the 1982 film of the same name.

Tell us a little about The Verdict...

It’s a courtroom drama - the story of a washed up, middle-aged alcoholic lawyer called Frank Galvin, who lives in Boston in the early 1980s. He’s a World War Two veteran, a drinker, and his marriage is in a mess. He spends his time looking in the local newspaper for deaths and injuries so he can offer his services as a lawyer, so he’s on the very lowest rung of the legal ladder.

And then this case comes before him, a medical malpractice case. He’s offered a settlement, but he goes to see the patient who’s in a coma, and he decides that this is the case he has to fight. And it becomes a kind of tale of personal redemption for him, a kind of heroic effort against all the odds and against the establishment of Boston.

The interesting thing about this story for me is that he’s a flawed man who does something good. And I think that works both ways. Good people can do bad things. Bad people can do good things. But this becomes an opportunity for him to put all that guilt and worry about his life behind him and do something right.

Why would you recommend people come and see the show?

I would recommend it because it’s a fantastic story and a wonderful company. It’s funny, it’s warm, it’s heartbreaking. It’s a love story. But mainly it’s a tale of redemption. And I think everyone can benefit from seeing something like that.

How does it compare to the film version from 1982?

Well, I’m a huge fan of Paul Newman - I think he’s wonderful. What an amazing actor. And his performance in The Verdict is superlative. It’s slightly different from what we’re doing, although it’s the same story.

For tickets, visit: https://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/the-verdict-2/