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Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall

30 March 2025 Poppy Rogers

Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall Rating

★★★★★

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This was my first time at The Garrick Theatre in Guildford, where patrons are warmly welcomed by the smiling front of house team.

Those of us in amateur theatre truly know it takes the assistance of many people to bring a show to life, not just those on stage; whether it’s long-standing members of the group, or the spouses and family who have been dragged along to help out. The experience of live theatre begins from the moment you enter the venue and friendly faces and enthusiastic raffle ticket sellers ensure the evening starts on the right note.

It is that hard work and determination that makes up the premise for Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall, and the age old saying ‘the show must go on’ no matter how dire things become.

It’s opening night of a new murder mystery. Seven of the cast are down with the dreaded lurgy and local councillors will be in attendance to decide the fate of the club’s funding and future. So, the Middling Cove Players’ director, two of the remaining actors, a stage manager who is only there to serve her community service hours and her 13-year old niece band together to ensure Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall takes to the stage as planned. Juggling nerves, props, and absurd miscasting, will they manage to pull it off? Or will everything go horribly and terribly wrong?

Bringing nearly 60 years of theatre experience between them, Kirstie Francis and Sarah House have banded together to direct this Australian farce, written by Mark Kilmurray and Jamie Oxenbould.

Act one takes us behind the scenes as the Middling Cove Players’ arrive ahead of the evening’s performance. Stage manager Karen (Jay Shaw) is hard at work trying to fix the sound system, the group’s leading lady Phillipa (Meredith Hunter) is in the middle of her lengthy warm up routine, Director Shane (Jim Brown) who is not-so-secretly in love with Phillipa, is struggling to contain his nerves, and Barney (Jarrod Buttery), who can only be described as the person in any group you try to avoid, is ready to provide unwarranted advice.

When the cast receive the news that the rest of the players won’t be making it to the show, the obvious thing to do is cancel; but with the fate of the group’s future hanging in the balance, Director Shane decides there’s only one thing to do – the remaining actors will just have to play multiple roles.

The opening night crowd at The Garrick Theatre was clearly a mix of theatre lovers, and theatre folk; with many a relatable moment of life in the world of community theatre gaining a chuckle or slight cringe from those who know the feeling all too well.

After the interval, the stage is set, and The Middling Cove Players’ production begins, following a suitably awkward front-of-stage welcome by Director Shane, where various members of the audience audition unsuccessfully to fill some remaining roles until latecomer Richard (Jack Riches) is thrown backstage and cast into the spotlight. The production starts off well enough, but soon descends into chaos with the realisation that several of the characters being played by one person are on stage at the same time. To complicate matters further the group find themselves running out of time to finish the show with Jenny’s 21st Birthday party, complete with a DJ, due to start in the hall next door any minute.

Any farce strongly relies on the comic timing of its actors and can be a challenge to get right, but this talented cast of recognisable local actors are spot on; you can feel the tension and determination of their characters to ensure that the show does go on. Juggling multiple costumes, accents, and props can be tricky at the best of times, but the degree of difficulty to make the production look like a shambles (think The Play That Goes Wrong) requires a great cast and strong direction, which The Garrick Theatre Club delivered in spades.

Most groups often joke that you could write a play about the behind-the-scenes drama of amateur theatre because nobody would believe half of what goes on. So it’s a joy to watch when someone actually does, even if it does, at times, feel a bit too close to home.

To book tickets to Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall, please visit https://www.taztix.com.au/garricktheatre/.

Performance Dates:
March 29 at 7.30pm
April 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 at 7.30pm
March 30 at 2pm
April 5 and 6 at 2pm
Tickets: Adult $28, Concession $23, Members $22.
Processing fees apply.
Bookings: Phone TAZ Tix 9255 3336 or BOOK ONLINE

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Poppy Rogers

Comedy Carousel

8 February 20258 February 2025 Carmen Jenner

Comedy Carousel Rating

★★★★★

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Three one-act plays, one charming theatre and oodles of talent. The Garrick Theatre’s latest stage production, the Comedy Carousel delivers ridiculous hilarity and maybe a murder or two.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a stage production? ‘All I Really Need to Know I Learned by Being in a Bad Murder Mystery’ offers plenty of insight into the pandemonium when dealing with a bunch of actors rehearsing for a murder mystery play. Throw in a script written by Agatha Christie knock-off Magetha Misty, a loopy director and an indecipherable accent coach, and you (and the cast) are left wondering whodunit and what was done to whom.

The actual director, Ali Louise, did a fantastic job of herding the high-energy cast by encouraging them to be as wacky as the show within the show. Among the tantrums, over-the-top death scenes and butchering of Shakespearian references, this tight-knit troupe delivers cohesive chaos with many laugh-out-loud moments. Narrated by Erin Shay Horrigan with Julia Webster playing the director role and Cambren Price playing the frustrated stage manager, the actors include Rebekah Hannah, Samantha Cashford, Paris Romano Jenner, Aaron Wilkes, Kirsty Plews, Quentin Mitchell, Jason Robert Lester and Steve Moloney, who perform as only thespians can in theatre blacks adorned with madcap props.

The second one-act play, Therapy Go Round, centres around a traumatic break-up that sends Brooke spiralling and into therapy. When she arrives at Dr Marita Welsh’s clinic and is greeted by assistant Janine, Brooke soon wonders who is shrinking who. If only her eccentric therapist had paid attention to the details and Janine wasn’t so absent-minded?

Written by playwright Sean Guy and directed by Carly Ranger, Therapy Go Round is performed by an all-female cast of Lis Hoffmann (Dr Marita Welsh), Kylie Calwell (Janine) and Casey Smith as Brooke. The simple set of ‘All I Really Need to Know I Learned by Being in a Bad Murder Mystery’ was miraculously transformed in moments into a clinic with soft pink lighting, a desk and two chairs – had there been a couch, no doubt Brooke would have needed a good lie-down and cry after her session.

Soon enough, a couch appears on stage for the final one-act play titled The Heist, brilliantly performed in New York accents by Colleen Johnson (Muriel), Karin Staflund (Camila), Marsha Holt (Ingrid) and Julie Holmshaw (Delia). Set in an apartment in NYC’s gritty Bronx, as the four ladies settle into their game of Bridge, there’s a sudden knock on the door. Gangster Lenny (played by Andreas Petalas) barges in full of misguided attitude but soon loses control of the situation as the ladies mess with his head as only a bunch of New Yorker broads can.

Directed by Lynne Devenish and written by actor and playwright Shirley Toohey (with script assistant Christine Offringa), strong characterisation creates an evocative sense of place and poignant storytelling to the background soundtrack of the borough’s sirens as Guildford’s trains and planes thunder by.

The ticket price of $15 is incredible value for three one-act plays and the calibre of talent from the cast and crew, including stage managers Sarah Durack and Jason Blaine, Don Allen (Lighting Designer) and sound designer Geoff Holt. Established in 1932 and situated in the heart of historic Guildford, the Garrick Theatre is one of the longest-running community theatres in Perth and always welcomes new members for ongoing discounts, events, news and auditions.

Performance dates: February 6th, 7th , 8th , 9th*, 13th, 14th & 15th February

All evening shows begin at 7.30pm, * denotes the matinee show at 2pm

To book tickets to Comedy Carousel, please visit TAZ Tix.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Carmen Jenner

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

1 December 202430 November 2024 Natalie Rees

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Rating

★★★★★

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If you ask anyone about their top childhood books, C S Lewis’s – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will often be cited as a nostalgic favourite across the generations. Garrick Theatre’s stage production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is full of nostalgia and one not to miss!

My 9-year-old son had recently finished reading the book and was excited to see this stage adaptation by Glyn Robbins. And I myself was curious how they were going to pull off the fantasy world of Narnia, especially since Garrick is such a small heritage theatre! Although they didn’t have high-tech equipment to work with, director Roxi Moore’s, with her simple yet effective directing choices, led to a very successful version of this fantasy world.

The cast, as would be expected, is a young bunch, with the youngest at 16 years old. I enjoyed watching the comradeship of the four children, and what was endearing to read was that two of the children were real-life siblings. Kody Fellows as Edmund was lively and suitably cheeky, and his real-life sister Mia Fellows, in her first lead role, played the timid Lucy, whose childlike innocence was portrayed accurately.

Amy Lock, as Susan, gave us all a fright with her piercing scream and played Lewis’ most unlikable character well. Aaron Wilkes, as Peter, had an impeccable British accent, and I would have loved to see the other actors follow suit to have a unified cast and really be able to get a sense of how quintessentially British this play and writing is.

The White Witch, played by Rebekah Hannah, was seemingly the most experienced of the cast. I enjoyed her strong sense of character and her unpredictability vocally, which always left the audience on edge and often scared!

Todd Halvorson, who played Aslan, had a great calm but strong presence as the Christ-like Aslan. At times, he could have projected his voice more, even if he was careful to keep the character calm.

A standout performance goes to Ali Louise, who played three characters: Mr Tumnus, Professor, and Mr Beaver. She was so invested in each character and had great physicality, vocal clarity, and obvious diversity.

The rest of the ensemble should also be commended on their input into the show, with some great characterisations as animals. I especially loved Russell Fellows’s physicality as the Dwarf.

My son and I really enjoyed this production, and it’s safe to say we both left with a smile on our faces and a spring in our step after an enjoyable night out!

Like a lot of community theatre here in Perth, the opening night was sold out, so if you want to see this brilliant production, book now

Bookings: Phone TAZ Tix 9255 3336 or BOOK ONLINE

Performance Dates:
November 28, 29, 30
December 1*, 5, 6, 7*, 7, 8*, 12, 13, 14
All evening shows at 7.30pm
*denotes matinee show at 2pm
Doors open 30 minutes prior to curtain

Tickets: Adult $28, Concession $23, Members $22, Children $15. Processing fees apply.

Please note that Saturday, December 7th, evening includes an Auslan interpreter. Auslan patrons will need to email TAZ Tix their booking request.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Natalie Rees

Poe Dreams of Madness

2 October 2024 Manuela Kacomanolis

Poe Dreams of Madness Rating

★★★★★

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Decked out with skeletons, skulls and all décor dark and spooky, the moment theatregoers stepped into the Garrick Theatre, they were transported into a gothic world with a focus on ghosts, murder and mayhem, and a dose of eccentricity.

From the famed American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe, a series of his tales were brought to life by talented young actors of the Teens at Garrick theatre group for Poe Dreams of Madness.

The play begins with Edgar himself, superbly played by Annie Dahn as the troubled and eccentric protagonist. Unsure whether he’s dreaming or awake, he looks back on some of his greatest tales, unaware that he is the mastermind behind their creation. Like a dream he’s desperately trying to recall, there are moments when lines that are spoken become familiar to him, but it’s an ongoing struggle for him to put pieces of the puzzle together.

The play is reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge is taken back at the stroke of midnight to watch his past play out before him. However, in this instance, it is the raven who takes Edgar on a journey to watch his tales play out before him.

Edgar was one of America’s greatest writers, but he was a tortured soul. In 1849, he was found in the gutters outside a Baltimore polling station, disoriented, incoherent, and wearing another man’s clothes. It is almost as though he is transported from that moment to the start of the play, unable to make sense of what is happening, what is real, and what is not real.

Nine of his tales are retold, including his most well-known, The Raven, and The House of the Fall of Usher, which, for those who may be interested, is currently streaming on Netflix. Each scene tells a different tale, and the transitions between each scene are seamless and skillful.

The stories build up to a climax, at which Edgar is confronted with characters from his stories and, in a way, confronted with himself. All characters are played with great passion and enthusiasm from the young cast.

The set was simple but very effective, with few props but it was all that was needed together with mood lighting to make the audience feel they were inside a dim-lit gloomy study room of an old 19th century brick building.

Poe Dreams of Madness left me wanting to know more about Edgar’s life and his works but for anyone into dark gothic tales, you will not be disappointed.

For tickets, book online at https://www.taztix.com.au/garricktheatre/

or Phone Bookings:
TAZ Tix 9255 3336

Venue: Garrick Theatre
16 Meadow St, Guildford

Performance Dates:
September 27, 28, 29*, October 4, 5*, 5eve, 6*, 11, 12
All evening shows at 7.30pm.
*Matinees at 2pm

Tickets: Adult $28, Concession $23, Members $22
Child Under 18 years $15

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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