The Strangeways Ensemble takes to the stage with their original piece called âThe Sevenâ. Opening night at the Wollongong Town Hall was filled with intrigued theatregoers looking for a mystery to sink their teeth into on a Friday night.
Even before entering the hall, the ambience was set through smoke machines, filtering out into the foyer. The crew, dressed head to toe in black crime scene unit suits, equipped with torches and determined curiosity, immediately pulled the audience into the space well before the show began. I am a big fan of a non-traditional use of a space and was delighted to see the chairs set up to face the middle of the hall, with a long stage marked out. Whilst intriguing and a spot of fun, having the audience set up like that, does sacrifice a little bit of visibility for certain scene placements and actions.
I was in awe of the staging, particularly the ingenious use of physics-defying chairs as entrances to the old tunnels. I enjoyed how the stage was so wide and how each section was used for different locations and time periods. The fairy lights in the main tunnel as glow-worms were absolutely perfect. Itâs been many years since Iâve been in the tunnels myself, so it evoked a very peaceful nostalgia, which was so lovely to experience in a performance that is so nichely set in our home.
The exploration of that delicate balance of fact and fiction was very well done. Characters like Truth-Telling Tony, Bob Sweeper and his aide, had the audience in stitches. I was absolutely captivated by Christian Tagliaferro each time he was on stage. He was an absolute delight to watch in all forms and as all characters. Interweaving very real modern conspiracies with the main fictional mystery, made it seem like this local legend was one that actually occurred, which is a testament to the writing of this show.
One of my favourite things about the Strangeways ensemble is the fact that you can tell how much each actor enjoys what theyâre doing. Even as multiple characters, with quick changes and overlapping storylines, theyâre having a good time, which makes the audience enjoy the performance that much more. âThe Sevenâ is, to put it simply, a spot of fun. Itâs quirky and charming, and in a time where a lot of real-world commentary coming from the arts is heavy and trying to prove some kind of point, it was refreshing to be able to have some care-free fun.
âThe Sevenâ is on at the Wollongong Town Hall, with shows on Thursday 27th November until Saturday 29th. Make sure to grab yourself a ticket at the Merrigong Theatre Companyâs website. Donât miss out!
To book tickets to The Seven, please visit https://merrigong.com.au/shows/the-seven/.
Photographer: Tracey Leigh
