Come From Away – Civic Theatre

How do you humorously portray the horrific? Add a touch of human.

Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s hit musical Come From Away brought to you by Civic Theatre Newcastle, tells the story of a small town called Gander during the week after the 9/11 bombings. From this dark context, the play blossom into exploring what it is to be human in the face of tragedy. Through themes of love, loss, compassion, and exhaustion, the play examines what it means to be human when faced with the unimaginable.

The text of this play is a combination of script, lyrics and verbatim, resulting in an unforgettable piece of theatre. The stories told are amalgamations of real people and events, allowing us to see a snapshot of what happened in Gander in September 2001.


The cast consisted of 12 actors playing multiple characters, and every single one shone. The performers were able to showcase humanity both in the micro and the macro as we were invited into people’s homes and lives while reliving a very public tragedy.


Although each actor played multiple parts, Sarah Nairne’s portrayal of “Hannah” stood out. She portrayed the sorrow of loss and heartache that comes with losing a loved one. Simple costume changes made the transitions between the characters seamless, and the stage setting of about a dozen chairs and a couple of tables made quick scene changes effortless.

The ensemble worked together as a living organism on the stage, moving us from scene to scene with unison, clarity, and precision. They flawlessly transitioned us from scene to scene, supporting and holding space for the individual characters that emerged from the group.


The musicians provided a pulse for the immense and powerful heart of the ensemble, which guided the audience through the emotional journey of the performance. The few times they appeared on stage were a celebration of all things coming together.


Although the lighting fitted the action on the stage, my favourite part of the play was a beautiful moment where the grand lighting backdrop was stripped, and the actors took control of the lighting via torches. Their elongated shadow behind them created an eerie and foreboding effect on the drama as it played out.

Come From Away is being performed in Newcastle until the 5th of March. If the review itself did not convince you to go and see the award-winning performance, let me bluntly tell you to check it out! Upcoming show dates are:-

  • Wednesday 22 February 2023 – 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM
  • Thursday 23 February 2023 – 7:00 PM
  • Friday 24 February 2023- 7:30 PM
  • Saturday 25 February 2023 – 2:00 PM AND 7:30 PM
  • Sunday 26 February 2023 – 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM
  • Wednesday 01 March 2023 – 11:00 AM AND 7:00 PM
  • Thursday 02 March 20237:00 PM
  • Friday 03 March 20237:30 PM
  • Saturday 04 March 20232:00 PM AND 7:30 PM
  • Sunday 05 March 20232:00 PM and 6:00 PM

Secret Bridesmaids’ Business – Theatre Review

Hunters Hill Theatre’s latest production, the iconic Australian play Secret Bridesmaids’ Business, is a play you must see. I attended the opening night on Friday and highly recommend you join the bridal party for this brilliant conclusion to their 2022 season.

Elizabeth Coleman’s smash hit Secret Bridesmaids’ Business was first performed in April/May 1999 and has been an audience favourite ever since. Performed all over the country and adapted for the small screen into a 2002 telemovie and 2019 miniseries.

The tale takes place the night before/morning of Meg’s wedding, “the best day of any woman’s life”, and we witness all the little dramas as serious problems unfold. Secret Bridesmaids Business asks big questions about friendship, love and commitment, then perfectly illustrates that there are no correct answers.

Our mother of the bride, Coleen Bacon, expertly acted by Lois Marsh, opens the show and sets the scene. I had an immediate gut reaction as Marsh dragged us kicking and screaming into the depths of wedding drama hell, a performance so entertaining that I abhorred the character.

Anna Desjardins, plays our bride-to-be Meg. In the second act, Desjardins kicked me in the heart! She did Meg and countless women who have been in her shoes justice with her excellent performance.

Now for the namesakes of the play, the secretive bridesmaids themselves. Two sides of the same coin? Or maybe the same sides of different coins? Angela, Meg’s childhood best friend, was played by Kirsty McGowan, and Lucy, Meg’s best friend from university, was played by Laura Stead. The ending was thoroughly enjoyable, with credit due to Stead’s genuine and humorous acting in the show’s final moments.

Dan Ferris portrayed the groom, James, and if he wasn’t such a fantastic actor, I’d accuse Hunters Hill Theatre of favouritism. This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Dan on stage at Club Ryde and the second time he’s snagged the best and most fun role in the show, in which he was superb.

Yet, in a show full of fantastic performances, I felt Chloe Horne stole the show with her portrayal of Naomi Bartlett. Her monologue delivered one of the best, most heartfelt performances I’ve seen on stage this year.

Also, a special shout-out to Carol Keeble, a fantastic hotel worker and an even better stage manager! I was particularly pleased to see that this play, written by a woman with a history of female directors, kept with tradition and was directed by Vivienne Wood.

Wendy Walker, as costume designer, found beautiful formal wear for the bridal party. Ross Alexander, Christopher Hamilton and Geoff Jones were in charge of the set, and I want to congratulate whoever was responsible for finding the perfect shade of ‘hotel room teal’; it’s the little things that really matter.

The Creative team put together a genuinely captivating show; believe it or not, Hunters Hill Theatre has entertained us for over 90 years.

Get yourself over to Club Ryde and support them and their outstanding work. Secret Bridesmaids Business is deliciously fun and is a production not to be missed. Upcoming show dates are:-

Nov 13, 2022 Sun @ 2:00pm
Nov 18, 2022 Fri @ 7:30pm
Nov 19, 2022 Sat @ 2:00pm
Nov 19, 2022 Sat @ 7:30pm
Nov 20, 2022 Sun @ 2:00pm
Nov 25, 2022 Fri @ 7:30pm
Nov 26, 2022 Sat @ 7:30pm
Nov 27, 2022 Sun @ 2:00pm

Female of the Species – Review

Hunters Hill Theatre (HHT) has done us the great pleasure of putting on ‘The Female of the Species’, performed on Wallumedegal Country at Club Ryde, this wonderful Australian play is a must-see. I cannot recommend this show enough, I sat down with no idea what to expect and enjoyed an afternoon of laughter thanks to HHT. I really encourage you to book your tickets now @ Hunters Hill Theatre – don’t say I never do anything for you!

‘The Female of the Species’ was first performed in 2006 and the play has aged like a good bottle of wine, with 2022 representing the perfect time to enjoy playwright Joanna Murray-Smith’s Political Satire. The show is inspired by a real-life event, in 2000 Germaine Greer, a controversial Feminist Author was held at gunpoint by a 19 year old. Murray-Smith uses this jumping-off point to explore the sometimes taboo theme of feminism and the contradictory and complicated relationships people have to Feminism, as well as motherhood, parasocial relationships, and so much more. These themes are presented with such a wonderful sense of humour and the plot is ridiculous in just the right way, I laughed the whole time.

The show is brought to life by an ensemble of 6 passionate actors led by Director Jennifer Willison. Catherine Porter brings her character to life with ease, the melodramatic Margo opens the show with profanities and lets you know what you’re in for. Bettina Girdler tackles the wild card role of Molly, and Tonia Davis has the joyous task of bringing the exhausted Tess to life, both outrageously fun characters. Bryan is played by Anthony Slaven who has a cheeky little musical number that the audience just went mad for and the Hilarious Dan Ferris entertains with his wonderful portrait of Frank. I would say that Theo is the hero of the show and Michael Richmond is delightful in the role. Director, Willison utilises every inch of the stage, and the cast feels in sync with each other. There were so many little moments in the background or during characters’ interactions that made me laugh out loud.

This production reminded me of how magical theatre can be. You’re transported to an early 2000s country cottage, Jennifer Willson is double-billed, Directing and Set Design, and props to Ross Alexander and Christopher Hamilton who constructed the set. You only see Margo’s living room but the layout of the room was done so well and felt so familiar that one can picture the rest of the house. A special shout of for the special effects – I am certain Casey Moon-Watton had fun organising them. All of the behind-the-scenes work was so well executed, it just let the show come to life, and the whole creative team should be celebrated for their work.

I just adored ‘The Female of the Species’, and found so much joy in experiencing some wonderful live theatre. If you want to see Political Satire done right, head over to Club Ryde and catch Hunters Hill Theatre’s production of ‘The Female of the Species’, but be quick as there are only a few shows remaining:-

Friday, 24 June 2022 @ 7.30pm
Saturday, 25 June 2022 @ 2pm & 7.30pm
Sunday, 26 June 2022 @ 2pm
Friday, 1 July 2022 @ 7.30pm
Saturday, 2 July 2022 @ 2pm & 7.30pm
Sunday, 3 July 2022 @ 2pm

84 Charing Cross Road – Review

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of seeing the Hunters Hill Theatre production of ’84 Charing Cross Road’ at Club Ryde. This production is the first time HHT have performed in their new venue, a quaint space with great acoustics and a snazzy lighting rig.

I walked in knowing nothing of James Roose-Evens play, ’84 Charing Cross Road’ and walked out enchanted by the story. The tale follows American writer Helene Hanff who is in search of obscure classics and British literature and writes to a little book shop in London requesting some titles. The play is a back and forth between Hanff in New York and the Marks and Co staff at 84 Charing Cross Road London, with antiquarian bookseller Frank Doel being the primary contact. I was charmed to find out that ’84 Charing Cross Road’ is based on a true story. In 1970 Helene Hanff published a novel of the same name chronicling her 20-year correspondence with Doel and the other staff at the London book store.

Taking the lead as Helene Hanff is Liz Grindley, she portrays the brazen author with ease and style. Her accent is impeccable; I can’t imagine the actress without the distinctive, classic New York sound. Opposite her is Ross Alexander as Frank Doel, who is well cast in the role as the British bookseller. Alexander plays Doel as reserved and mild, which reads as quintessentially British and contrasts Grindley nicely. Kimberlea Smith is very sweet as Cecily Far, one of Doel’s co-workers. And rounding out the cast is Suzan Mozell, who covers two roles. She is adorable as Megan Wells Doel’s other co-worker but shines as Maxine, a fabulous, socialite, American actress and friend of Hanff’s.

Director Maggie Scott described the play as a ‘Love Affair’ between Hanff and the bookshop, all its staff and London, which is so wholesome. I felt like they prioritised fun in the direction of the show, and I appreciate that. I was smiling the minute the show started; Grindley won me over immediately as she welcomed me into the world. During Act One, I felt moments when the comedic timing seemed rushed, but I was pleased to see this was not the case after intermission.  Act two was joyous; Grindley came back on stage and found a rhythm that better honoured the playwright’s hilarious script and won big laughs from the audience.

Wayne Chee made magic happen with the set and lighting. The stage was split down the middle, one side Hanff’s New York apartment the other the Marks and Co bookstore in London, both sides were distinct yet stood side by side in harmony. The attention to detail was beyond reproach. I really appreciated the subtle difference in light between New York and London. All the books in the show were covered in white which was an excellent creative choice. Props were handled by Coralie Fraser, who I assume was responsible for the tedious task of covering all the books. Penelope Korths was the costume designer and covered two decades with only two outfits per character. The classic, well-tailored ensembles they chose worked brilliantly and told me so much about each character as soon as the actor stepped on stage.

I enjoyed my time at 84 Charing Cross Road; it was such a treat watching a relationship slowly develop between Hanff and the book store staff. My favourite part was finding out that Hanff at one point wrote fictional murders for television; we love TV shows about murder here at Dark Stories! Hunters Hill Theatre’s  ’84 Charing Cross Road’ is a delightful true story with an ending that made me tear up!

You won’t be travelling to London or New York anytime soon, so treat yourself and do both in one trip to the theatre! 84 Charing Cross Road plays at Club Ryde till July 4th with performances Friday night, Saturday matinee, Saturday night and Sunday matinee.