Stage adaptation of ‘The Verdict’ premieres at Calgary’s Vertigo Theatre
Posted May 20, 2026 11:54 am.
The North American premiere of The Verdict brings a well-known courtroom drama to Calgary.
Vertigo Theatre is closing its season with this stage adaptation, which was popularized by a 1982 film starring Paul Newman, with a screenplay by David Mamet.
The film was nominated for 14 awards that year and won three. Paul Newman was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of lawyer Frank Galvin, an alcoholic lawyer who takes on a medical malpractice case and decides to bring it to trial rather than settle.
Shaun Smyth steps into that role for the Vertigo production.
“Initially, it was daunting … and the Paul Newman thing was a bit daunting,” he says. “And then David Mamet, you know, apparently it’s classified as like a perfect screenplay or something like that, you know?”
But this production, Smyth says, while staying true to the core of the story, is not the same as the film.
“It’s more theatrical, and there’s just levels of detail and grit that you can’t attain in theatre. You have to, you’re doing a different kind of storytelling,” he says.
The case at the centre of the story involves a young woman left in a coma following medical negligence. A key turning point comes when Galvin confronts her condition for the first time.
In the film, that moment and the transformation of the protagonist are depicted through the development of a Polaroid photo. In the play, that moment has to play out quite differently, without the benefit of closeups, because instead of the woman in a coma, the audience can only see Galvin’s reaction to her.
“It’s the catalyst for Galvin’s journey,” Smyth says. “He sees this neglect, and he sees this decay … I think it’s a multi-trigger for him and his own personal life.”
While the show is largely driven by Galvin, who is on stage for the entire runtime save for two small scenes, it also draws on a deep roster of Calgary theatre talent beyond Smyth, including Joel Cochrane, Kelsey Verzotti, Duval Lang, Shawna Burnett, Steven Conde, Steven Morton, Dov Mickelson, Christopher Clare, and Kira Bradley. It is directed by Vertigo Artistic Director Jack Grinhause.
The Verdict runs approximately two and a half hours and is on stage through June 7. Tickets can be found online here.
