Two Malvern Hills actors are joining the cast of the Swan Theatre Company's latest production, a little known work from one of the world's best loved authors.

Ian Gane, of Powick, takes the lead role in Agatha Christie's Verdict at the Worcester venue later this month.

Mr Gane was among the cast for the Malvern Mystery Play at the Priory earlier this year and took a lead role in the Malvern Theatre Player's production of Beyond Reasonable Doubt, by Jeffrey Archer, last year.

Among his fellow cast members is Malvern resident Jane Lush, a regular performer for the Swan Theatre Company.

The company's chairman, and director of the play, Brian Burton, discovered Verdict whilst browsing through an American volume of the famous mystery writer's work and had to obtain copies of the script from America.

"It was performed in London in 1959," said Mr Burton, "But as far as I know it simply faded into obscurity after that. I thought it seemed a cracking good drama and could see no reason at all why it shouldn't be performed once more. Everyone has seen her other plays so it will be a treat for audiences to see one of the more unusual ones."

The play is set in London in the 1950's where a University professor from Eastern Europe is living in exile with his invalid wife and her cousin. All the usual Agatha Christie ingredients are there: high drama, mystery, murder, a detective, and a surprise twist ending combined with a strong romantic element which should ensure the play appeals to a wide audience.

"What makes the play unusual," said Mr Burton, "Is that it is not so much a 'whodunnit' as a 'will they get away with it'. Directing it has been very rewarding."

Mr Burton has directed 25 plays at the Swan, his most recent being An Inspector Calls, and Dancing at Lughnasa.

Verdict opens on Thursday, August 31, and runs until Saturday, September 9 with performances at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from the Swan Theatre box office on 01905 27322.