Pavilion Theatre

Rehearsal For Murder: A Classic Murder Mystery That Keeps You Guessing

Rehearsal For Murder

Rehearsal For Murder Rating

★★★★★

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To me, a ‘Whodunnit Mystery Murder’ should encompass suspense, have interesting characters – each one having a cloaked shadow of suspicion, unforeseen twists and of course, an untimely demise. The Castle Hill Players performance of Rehearsal For Murder had all of this, and more.

Set in the 1950’s in an empty theatre on New York City’s Broadway, director Grant Brennan and the cast and crew drew us back to a time on the cusp of colour television where viewers were used to watching dramas in black and white. This theme was well integrated into the play, noticeable in the costume design of the main characters’ clothes which were all grey. Far from being a dull grey through, costume designer Leone Sharp ensured a timeless and classic feel.

The play opens with the narrator, Alex Dennison (wonderfully portrayed by Thomas Southwell) a successful playwright who lost his fiancé to an apparent self-harming circumstance one year ago. On this anniversary, he has invited his Broadway colleagues to partake in the reading of a new play he’s written, one which coincidentally, (or not so), involves the people who were last involved with his fiancé, actress Monica Welles shortly before her death. Alex’s script plays out certain circumstances that involve Monica and the characters and allows the audience to immediately see that they all have a motive to murder her!

Rehearsal For Murder
Rehearsal For Murder
Rehearsal For Murder

Through cleverly orchestrated visual and audio theatre, the audience becomes involved with the plot, questioning who would benefit from Monica no longer being in the Broadway play. Who’s the murderer? Was it the best friend, Monica’s understudy? Her husband? The producer, an actor, director or the leading man? Through clever use of lighting (by Casey Moon-Watton) dimming and spotlighting at opportune moments, combined with sound effects and the use of The Pavilion Theatre’s space around the audience, it produced a dynamic atmosphere.

Showcasing the typical music of the time, sound designer George Cartledge creates a feel reminiscent of an olden-days radio drama. Alex Dennison narrates the play to the audience, with the backdrop of the music underlying his words. Thomas Southwell’s calm demeanour as a narrator carries the play’s tone throughout the performance.

A standout from this play was from Gina Willison, who portrayed the producer, Bella Lamb. She states that she’s ‘not an actor’, but Alex forces her to read the script he’s prepared, and I sympathised with her indignation at what she was forced to do.

Monica Welles, portrayed with an innocence by Lola Carlton, appeared not in ghostly form but as herself in flashback scenes. It was clever the way the scene seamlessly blended into the past, with Monica interacting with the other characters, each time leaving another hint as to what may have happened to her.

Rehearsal For Murder has a big cast. Brett Watkins (Leo), Ben Wheeler (David), Ella Rose Titterton (Karen) Brett Joachim (Lloyd), Sophia Laurantus (Sally) David Senior (Ernie), Chris Scarpellino (Man) and Melissa Applin (Loretta) all portrayed their characters well and created an interesting storyline. I attended the opening night, and as the production progresses, the New York accent should become more consistent.

During the interval, I heard various audience members talking. They were guessing, calling out the names of characters of who they thought ‘dunnit’. I had a couple of theories, based on who I thought had the most motive. Did I guess right? This was one of the most fun parts of a murder mystery – so I won’t reveal if I was successful or not! You’ll have to see the Castle Hill Players performance to find out.

Rehearsal For Murder is playing at the Pavilion Theatre from 30 May – 21 June 2025. To book tickets to Rehearsal For Murder, please visit https://paviliontheatre.org.au/rehearsal-for-murder/.

Pavilion Theatre
Doran Drive, Castle Hill
Tickets: $30 / Concession $25
www.paviliontheatre.org.au

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Improbable Fiction: A Comedic Delight

Improbable Fiction

Improbable Fiction Rating

★★★★★

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There’s something specifically delightful about a farce with a lot of heart. Castle Hill Player’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s ’Improbable Fiction’ has a charming ensemble cast, a Shakespearean change-maker of a storm, and several comic surprises that had the house in stitches.

Jem Rowe is warm and funny as our anchoring host Arnold Hassock. The characters he welcomes to the house he shares with his aging mother bemuse and enthral him (and the audience) in turn. This is a show for you if you’re interested in writing and the oddball folks who do it.

Abby Bishop’s set, in concert with Mark Dawson’s lighting design, is incredibly effective and is the key support for good actors working with a good script. They’ve created a little world that it was a delight to fall into for the night, and Alan Ayckbourn’s skill with words is shepherded effectively by director Dave Went.

Leone Sharp’s costume design is excellent, and the pace of some of the changes was very impressive. Each detail gave richness to the whirl of the second act. Some of the prop work drew gasps and cheers from the audience and facilitatedsome of the big surprises and delights across the show.

 

Improbable Fiction
Improbable Fiction

The second act swings at quite a different pace to the first and gives the ensemble more space to stretch their muscles. Anthea Brown is a comic highlight throughout, and the whole cast embodies Gina Willison’s choreography with verve. Brendan Iddles enters last in the first act, and has some of the stand-out moments in the second; his transformations are some of the most striking. Will Shipp drew out some of the most vocal audience responses, and Lauren Asten-Smith’s characters (and late second act reveal) were all some of the strongest emotionally connected moments in the scheme of the comedy of the show.

George Cartledge’s sound design is, like the set, effective and integrated, with musical moments and audio gags all landing. The storm he created was one of the key elements of the plot, and the design and delivery was seamless. The mood-setting musical moments were effective enough to situate you instantly without feeling repetitious, and Jem Rowe was particularly good at working with them to carry the audience along through all the different twists and turns of the show.

 

Improbable Fiction
Improbable Fiction

For this reviewer, the second act was the highlight, but all the threads that ran through from first-act conversations really did add to the story. There’s a lot to love and laugh along with in this show, and the cast and crew have put on a lovely production of a fun piece. There is more wordplay the more you look, and plenty of clowning and character comedy besides, so I would recommend catching this show while it’s on.

To book tickets to Improbable Fiction, please visit https://paviliontheatre.org.au/improbable-fiction/

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Grand Horizons

Grand Horizons

Grand Horizons Rating

★★★★★

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2

The name “Grand Horizons” evokes an image of expansive possibilities, a bright future, and a world of untapped potential. It suggests a place where grand things await, a sense of hope and excitement about what lies ahead. In the context of the play, however, this promise is ironically deflated. The “Grand Horizon” is revealed to be not a metaphor for limitless opportunities but rather the confines of a retirement village.

From the very first curtain rise, director Jason Darlington expertly transports the audience into a space that is reminiscent of a sitcom, with musical tunes such as “Love and Marriage” from the TV show “Married with Children”, setting up the scene perfectly. The story is indeed about a married couple with children, only in this tale Nancy decides one day that she wants to divorce Bill, while their two grown up children come to the “rescue” by trying to stop the divorce from happening.

The children’s behaviour is somewhat sitcom-like, with over-the-top acting and facial expressions. Both are oblivious to their parents’ true nature: no matter how many times they ask what the reason for the divorce could possibly be, they never stop to actually let them answer and instead continue on their own trajectory.

 

Grand Horizons
Grand Horizons
Grand Horizons

It is deep into Act One when we finally hear from Nancy about her rather superficial marriage to Bill. Her confession of long-held desires for an old high school crush feels like a tipping point. It’s here, deep into Act One, that the play shifts gears from sitcom-style comedy to something more poignant, building toward a climactic moment where the walls of the retirement unit—quite literally—come crashing down. This marks the moment when “Grand Horizons” takes a profound turn, offering a raw and vulnerable exploration of the emotional truths that have been buried for decades.

Act Two is the standout, with Nancy’s meeting with Bill’s new girlfriend serving as an acting high point. The final confrontation between Bill and Nancy is both explosive and deeply revealing, a gut-wrenching moment where both characters come to realize how much they’ve actually known about each other’s desires all along. 

In his directorial debut at the Castle Hill Pavilion, Darlington wisely lets the seasoned actors take centre stage, and it’s their performances that resonate most strongly. “Grand Horizons” blends comedy with pathos in a way that’s both funny and cringeworthy, ultimately leaving the audience with a bittersweet sense of reflection on life’s fleeting promises and the often-unspoken truths we carry with us.

Grand Horizons is running from 15 Nov – 7 Dec.

To book your tickets, please visit https://paviliontheatre.org.au/grandhorizons/

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The Ghost Train: All Aboard The Supernatural Express

The Ghost Train

The Ghost Train Rating

★★★★★

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To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Castle Hill Pavilion Theatre, the theatre company performed an adaption of The Ghost Train, written by Arnold Riley. The classic thriller opened on the 20th of September to a full house ready for some suspense and humour.

The Ghost Train is set in an old train station, where a group of stranded passengers face a night of eerie happenings as they await the arrival of a supposedly haunted train. Directed by Stephen Snars, the production evokes a gothic atmosphere, keeping us on the edge of our seats. The mystery of the ghost train creeps in at just the right moments.

The ensemble cast excels in portraying a diverse group of travellers – each with its own quirks. Each actor excels at commanding the stage without overpowering the other. Their interactions feel authentic as they explore the possibility of a ghost story being real. A standout performance comes from Paul Sztelma playing Teddie Deakin, the seemingly carefree prankster who adds most of the necessary humour to the play. His blend of charisma and comic timing kept a sense of unpredictability, keeping the audience and characters wondering about his true nature.

The creaky old station, with its dim lighting, helps set the stage for this spooky tale. There were times when I forgot the design was a stage and not the night sky. The clever use of sound design—clattering trains in the distance, spooky sounds, and unsettling silences—further amplify the ghostly atmosphere. The costumes of the characters help set the time period of the play.

 

The Ghost Train
The Ghost Train

A primary theme of The Ghost Train is the fear of the unknown and how fear can make our minds play tricks on us. The play explores how superstition can create an atmosphere that can make the most sceptical of people believe they heard or saw something supernatural. As identities and intentions are revealed, the play touches on how appearances can be misleading.

The chilling moments and the humour kept the audience engaged, as you could hear the laughs and shocks from audience members. The play was well-paced, keeping us entertained the whole time through its use of suspense.

The play is much more than a ghost story and balances chilling moments with unexpected humour. The plot twist delivers a satisfying conclusion to The Ghost Train. We left the theatre, remembering that even old-fashioned ghost stories can still provide us a good scare. The Ghost Train was an excellent choice to help celebrate 70 years of Castle Hill Pavilion, offering thrills and plenty of laughs along the way. If you are up for a spook, watch The Ghost Train, playing from now until October 12.

Book your tickets @ https://paviliontheatre.org.au/theghosttrain/

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