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A Promenade of Shorts – The Red Phoenix Theatre Company

17/01/2026 Rob McKinnon🌟🎭

A Promenade of Shorts Rating

★★★★★

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The concept of A Promenade of Shorts was born out of COVID restrictions in April 2020 when crowd sizes had to be limited to a small number. Due to the previous success of the concept, in 2026 the Red Phoenix Theatre Company presents season 3 of A Promenade of Shorts now at the Goodwood Theatre whereby 29 actors perform in 9 plays each of 10 minutes. They are performed in different areas of the theatre with great success. The plays are expertly executed over 3 sessions with 2 breaks and provide a highly entertaining experience.

Over the course of the evening, Tour Guides (Anne Doherty, Kate Prescott and Olivia Jan Parker) lead 3 groups of audience members through the distinct performance spaces where 3 plays are performed at each space.

In the Main Theatre the following are performed:

1. In Farce (written by Steven Bucko, directed by Norm Caddick)

Cast:
Front Desk Staff Jo Coventry
Man Matt Chapman
Husband Adam Tuominen
Wife Anita Zamberlan Canala
Plot Device Krystal Cave

2. Chilled Wine (written by Dorothy Lambert, directed by Alicia Zorkovic)

Cast:
Charlotte Jessica Corrie
Louise Laura Tregloan
Gemma Monika Lapka

3. Go to the Light (written by Laurie Allen, directed by Alicia Zorkovic)

Cast:
Roxie Peta Shannon
Sophie Cheryl Douglas
Dad Malcolm Walton
Will Tom Tassone

In The Bar the following are performed:

4. Bottle for a Special Occasion (written by William Kovacsik, directed by Hayley Horton)

Cast:
Martin Stuart Perce
Judith Lyn Wilson

5. On Queue (written by Morey Norkin, directed by Hayley Horton)

Cast:
Man 1 Jack Robins
Man 2 Jethro Pidd

6. Choices (written by James McLindon, directed by Hayley Horton)

Cast:
Debt Counselor Rebecca Kemp
Prospective Client Laura Lines

In The Studio the following are performed:

7. Road Trip (written by Jan Probst, directed by Libby Drake)

Cast:
Allen Lindsay Dunn
Mary Joanne St Clair
Aunt Pat Katie Packer
Uncle Joe John Rosen
Jack Jai Pearce
Michael Charlie Butler

8. When I Fall in Love it Will Be … (written by Susan Middaugh, directed by Libby Drake)

Cast:
Florence Campbell Lisa Lanzi
Ed Ferris Adrian Barnes

9. Mrs Thrale Lays On … Tea! (written by Rob Taylor, directed by Libby Drake)

Cast:
Mrs Thrale Sharon Malujlo
Polly Zoe Battersby
Dr Johnson Michael Eustice

Over the 9 plays the audience learns the ordinances in the town of Farce, not to trust a man working his way through the alphabet, how many Facebook likes you could get on your death bed, what’s the best wines for a cheating husband, how 2 men can make a queue, how to repay your student loan, how to plan a family road trip, how to cope with spouses who have dementia in residential care and what Mrs Thrale and Dr Johnson do after tea – very naughty!

The plays are often funny, sometimes hilariously, but there is also a mixture of sadness, and all are expertly acted. Each performance space presents its own demands which are adeptly and seamlessly resolved by the company’s crew members. Each audience member will have their favourite play of the evening and is also required to vote for it which is a difficult task due to the high-quality of all of them.

The Red Phoenix Theatre Company is to be congratulated for providing a magnificent evening of entertainment with season 3 of A Promenade of Shorts, with something for all audience members, it is in every respect a triumph deserving full houses.

Reviewed by Rob McKinnon
Rating; 5/5

A Promenade of Shorts remaining sessions are:
January 17, 21, 22, 23 & 24 @ 7.30pm. Sunday January 18 @ 2.00pm

Venue: Goodwood Theatre
166 Goodwood Road, Goodwood SA 5034

Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1419827

To book tickets to A Promenade of Shorts, please visit https://www.redphoenixtheatre.com/nextplay/.

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Kitchen Witches: Stirring the Pot

03/10/202503/10/2025 Genevieve Hudson🥉

Kitchen Witches Rating

★★★★★

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Tea Tree Player’s debut production of Kitchen Witches, directed by Lachie Blackwell and written by Caroline Smith, opens behind the scenes of a basic white kitchen film set for supposedly the last time. During the completion of Dolly Biddle’s final ‘Baking with Babcha’ episode, she is interrupted by longtime frenemy and chef Isobel Lomax while on air. The heated barbs that fly somehow inspire an opportunity to co-host a show, to be produced by Stephen Biddle, Dolly’s son. From there the ensuing arguments and revelations both on and off the air challenge them all to consider a more flexible definition of family, however dysfunctional it may appear.

The small cast worked well together to create a colourful palate of flavours that mixed seamlessly. Dolly Biddle, played by Michelle Hrvatin, was domineering from the beginning as she demonstrated changes in accents, costumes, and relationship dynamics throughout. Also with great comic timing, Hrvartin’s much louder persona was a fantastic contrast to her castmates. Jo-Anne Davis’s portrayal of Isobel Lomax began as delightfully simpering and superficial in comparison and growing into something floaty and gentle later. The unpredictability and hostility between the two women, despite often being in close quarters, is quite entertaining.

Often a mediator between the two witches (“with a ‘B’”) is Matt Bryker-Oman as Stephen Biddle, the long-suffering producer and son of Dolly, and is often stressed due to spiteful shenanigans. Bryker-Oman’s first stage appearance since school, his performance provided grounding and relatability amongst the tumult of the kitchen set, particularly in the second act where his character is challenged from a variety of ways. Torin Hill, as Rob the Camera Guy, provides a stable yet mostly silent presence throughout the show as he assists in setting up and operating the camera within the studio atmosphere. Hill’s few lines, despite ample stage time, certainly prove that quality over quantity can prove to be particularly memorable.

The inclusion of the audience as part of the live studio experience was a clever device, complete with handpicking ‘celebrity’ taste-testers, prompted reactions, and the sounds of genuine laughter instead of canned tracks. While some of the specific mentions of ‘audience’ names sounded a little rehearsed at the beginning, this became much more natural as it went along. Similarly, while the initial dynamics on stage felt a little hesitant, momentum was quickly gained and maintained as the show progressed.

The set itself was also impressive despite its simplicity. As all cooking shows need food to work with, even staged ones, with a working fridge/freezer being used for edible props and a sink with running water to always “wash your hands”. The amount and variety of aprons used throughout was quite amusing and were always complementary to the character that was wearing them, as did the rest of their costumes. Rather than the use of traditional wings, dressing room doors are used to further create an intimacy with the audience with proximity, and moving from the back of the stage. Lighting changes were also used sparingly but particularly to signal being on air with a brighter white light and a warmer tone for off air.

Without being indicative of a particular era, Kitchen Witches is a fun and surprisingly heartwarming show that carries some relatability in each of the characters. An enjoyable night out for some witchy cackling, a brew, and a show.

To book tickets to Kitchen Witches, please visit https://teatreeplayers.com/production/kitchen-witches/.

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Girl of the Frozen North

16/08/202516/08/2025 Rob McKinnon🌟🎭

Girl of the Frozen North Rating

★★★★★

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The Tea Tree Players, under director Barry Hill, transports the audience to the freezing Yukon for this very amusing sing-a-long melodrama full of merriment and entertainment well worth attending as Adelaide’s own wintery conditions draw to a close.

The fun begins as the MC (Tim Cousins) introduces the play and the cast as they burst into song. The story proper begins during a day in June 1890 in the lobby of a dingy hotel in the Yukon Territory owned by the story’s villain, J Harrington Cesspool (Brian Godfrey). Cesspool is ordering around his employee Nanook (Georgia Gustard) as a fur trader Klaxon (Joel Strauss) enters with a bag of furs and haggles with Cesspool about their purchase price. After Trader Klaxon leaves, Cesspool tries to grab Nanook but she screams and the story’s hero, Corporal Dashiell H Goforth (Clinton Nitschke) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, enters the lobby to save her. Goforth then leaves but soon returns with Nettie Neetfoot (Charlie Klose), as she tries to evade the clutches of Cesspool, she explains that she is looking for her mother who has become lost in a blizzard as they searched for her kidnapped little brother. Nettie leaves the hotel to continue her quest.

As the story progresses, hotel guests Cleopatra Pannitt (Cathie Oldfield) the self-proclaimed “America’s gift to the Shakespearean stage” and her daughter Hyacinth Klutz (Selena Britz) both stuck at the hotel because the “touring troupe went broke at the local opera house”, are introduced. Goforth re-enters with the missing Mrs Neetfoot (Elizabeth Ferguson) and later Professor Fredrik Pjoole (John Hudson) from Washington DC arrives to study the local First Nations people’s “time-reversing experiments”. Goforth is accused of theft and tries to clear his name as the search for the missing continues.

Along the way, the MC emboldens the audience to “aaw”, “ooh”, “boo” and “cheer” but often the engaged audience is ahead of his prompting. Between scenes the audience is encouraged to sing along with the classics, “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”, “Roll Out the Barrell”, “Knees Up Mother Brown” and “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside”.

Additionally, between a scene change in Act 1, the audience is entertained by the dancing Harry the Hippy Horse (Ashlee Brown as the head and Lachlan Blackwell as the other end). In a scene change in Act 2, ballerinas Tatiana Orlovski (Lachlan Blackwood) and Olga Ripsacorsetoff (Ashlee Brown) perform “The World Famous Balloon Dance”, which is one of the hilarious highlights of the whole performance.

The production team including Beth Venning for props and set dressing, Barry Hill for set design, Damon Hill for scenic artwork, Merci Thompson for costumes and Robert Andrews and Mike Phillips for lighting and sound design and operation, are to be congratulated for producing an excellent set, costumes and a near faultless technical performance.

The cast all perform superbly, Tim Cousins is warm and enthusiastic as the MC binding the performance and the audience participation skilfully together. Brian Godfrey, with his Riff Raff like appearance, makes a first-rate villain and is outstandingly juxtaposed by the brilliantly often over-the-top performance of Clinton Nitschke. Selena Britz is also commended for her performance and her song and dance routine. The rest of the talented cast also deliver outstanding performances.

The Tea Tree Players’ Girl of the Frozen North is great fun and is full of melodrama and audience participation. Barry Hill, the cast and crew are to be congratulated for this exuberant and splendid production.

Girl from the Frozen North runs from Wednesday 13 August 2025 – Saturday 23 August 2025

Venue: Tea Tree Players Theatre

Cnr Yatala Vale Road and Hancock Road, Surrey Downs SA 5126

To book tickets to Girl of the Frozen North, please visit https://teatreeplayers.com/production/girl-of-the-frozen-north/.

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Murder at Checkmate Manor

24/05/2025 Genevieve Hudson🥉

Murder at Checkmate Manor Rating

★★★★★

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A company well known for their pantomimes, comedies, and British farces; Tea Tree Players Theatre Company offer something within the same vein but perhaps at an all-new extreme. Julie Datson’s production of ‘The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery – Murder at Checkmate Manor’ will take audiences back to the era of cheesy country town hall entertainment, complete with dated fashion parades, cute quizzes during interval, and constantly breaking the fourth wall.

At the doors of the theatre, the audience is greeted and invited in by Thelma (Hayley Mitchell) who tells us she has recently been crowned ‘Miss Farndale 2025’, loudly and excitedly ushering people in. The unorthodox and absurd tone of the show is further consolidated as people are seated with elements of the small, deliberately flimsy set falling apart and the crew coming onstage to attempt to ‘fix’ them. With set walls appearing to be rushed in quality, the stair rail frequently wobbling out of place, the chess set often collapsing, chairs malfunctioning, and curtains constantly drooping, complete chaos is expected to follow.

The cast matches this level of calamity with their characters’ deliberately bad acting, including the monotonous recitation of lines, poorly timed or incorrect entrances, skipping pages of dialogue, forgotten or incomplete costume changes, uncontrollable giggling, and the correcting and prompting of each other on stage. As the show progresses, moments range from entertaining to excruciating as the plot is lost amongst the theatrical carnage, and while the identity of the murderer may be obvious, the ending is not.

With the challenge to act badly well, the actors certainly rose to the occasion and were clearly able to have a lot of fun with it. Chris Galipo channels the benevolent Mrs Reece, overwhelmed by having taken on too many characters whilst hosting and managing the community event as well. Mitchell’s Thelma is earnestly demanding in her attempts to be the centre of attention, enthusiastically delivering many of her lines to the audience rather than her co-stars. Jo-Anne Davis’s awkward performance as Felicity is comical, as she tries to navigate which side of stage to come through and juggle the incredibly quick costume changes between Butler Pawn and Colonel King.

Meredith Kreig is hysterical as Audrey, whose various characters involve a deadpan voice or giggles at inappropriate moments. Finally, Ashleigh Merriel as Sylvia, who plays Inspector O’Reilly, is fantastically matter of fact and tired of everyone else mucking around. Together, this cast lean into everything that goes wrong and encourage each other to reach the extreme of their scene.

While the set was compact, the space was used well between the five performers as it wasn’t often that they were all on at the same time. While the large white armchair, stair railing, and chessboard were central pieces, there were photographs and various ornaments scattered around were small details that added nicely to the community feel. Lighting and sound were used to keep the gags going, particularly when black outs came too early or late, the wrong sound effect was used, or just to emphasise comic timing. However, it can also be said that there comes a point where less is more, and some niche references to home video narration will go over the heads of those under the usual demographic of about 65.

Sprinkled through with the occasional innuendo and plenty of shenanigans, this production was filled with many moments where they’re so bad they’re good.

To book tickets to Murder at Checkmate Manor, please visit https://teatreeplayers.com/production/the-farndale-avenue-housing-estate-townswomens-guild-dramatic-society-murder-mystery/.

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