BY IAN ROSS

VICKI Lee and Trevor Jones are to make their debuts for Congleton Players in a classic whodunnit.

The company tackles Verdict by Agatha Christie for its second production of the season at the Daneside Theatre.

The play centres around university professor Karl Hendryck, his sick wife Anya, and cousin and companion Lisa Koletsky.

They have been forced by Karl's political leanings to leave their homes in Eastern Europe and seek asylum in England.

Anya is found dead from an overdose of painkilling drugs, and the police are called in to discover if it was murder or suicide.

The professor has high moral principles, and is totally involved with his students' wellbeing until blackmail changes everything.

Mike Clowes is Karl, opposite Doris McGowan as his wife, whose real life husband Ian directs.

Lisa is played by Karen Wood, while Vicki Lee and Victoria Cropper play students of the professor.

Joyce Pace plays shifty cleaning woman Mrs Roper, John McIlwreith is family GP Dr Stoner, and John Hibbert is rich businessman Sir William Rollander.

Trevor Jones is Sgt Pearce, alongside Peter Nicholson as Det Insp Ogden.

Verdict plays from February 6 to 10, and tickets are available from Congleton Information Centre or by ringing 273947.