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Australia Day – Therry Theatre

11/04/2026 Rob McKinnon🥉

Australia Day Rating

★★★★★

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Australia Day is Jonathan Biggins’ satirical look at the workings of rural councils and in particular an Australia Day organising committee. While the cast do their best with the script, Biggins wrote it in 2012, it now feels worn and the characters hollow. Some of the attempted humour is offensive (which seems to be the point) but if audience members can get past that, Australia Day is funny in parts if a little passed its use by date.

Set in 2016 in the fictional rural town of Makarrata, the play begins in the town’s scout hall as the members of the local Australia Day organising committee arrive to begin the planning for the following year’s Australia Day celebrations. The committee is composed of Brian Harrigan (Stephen Bills) the town’s Mayor and Liberal party member who is also seeking pre-selection for the local federal seat and Robert Wilson (Adam Schultz) the Deputy Mayor who is Liberal leaning but not a party member. Joining them are long standing committee members, Maree Bucknell (Kristina Kidd) the President of the Country Women’s Association and bigoted Wally Stewart (Steve Kidd OAM) who is a local builder. There are also newer members of the committee, Helen McInnes (Michele Kelsey) who has relocated from the city and a member of the Greens and Chester Lee (Ollie Xu) who is an Australian-born son of Vietnamese refugees and a new schoolteacher.

As the committee meetings unfold and Australia Day approaches disagreements develop ranging from the choice of sausages for the BBQ through to just plainly intolerant views. Political power plays and personal agendas also unfold.

Local place names are substituted into the script to add a local flavour. The whole cast perform admirably, and the play is directed competently by Jude Hines, however the limits of the script only ever allows them to develop shallow caricatures. As normal for Therry Theatre, their excellent production crew do an outstanding job in bringing the production into being.

Warning: a deeply offensive name for Aboriginal people is used in the play as well as an equally offensive name for disabled people.

Therry Theatre has a long history of brilliant productions. Their production last year of Come from Away was an absolute stand out. Compared to that, Australia Day feels like a bit of a misstep (although humorous in parts) as they are capable of much greater things and we eagerly anticipate their production of Jesus Christ Superstar in July.

Reviewed by Rob McKinnon
Rating; 3/5

Production Details
Venue: The Arts Theatre, Angas Street, Adelaide
Performance Dates: to Saturday 18 April 2026.
Times: 2.00pm / 7.30pm
Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/DHTFT

To book tickets to Australia Day, please visit https://therry.org.au/.

Photographer: Andrew Trimmings

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The Whale

12/11/2025 Rob McKinnon🥉

The Whale Rating

★★★★★

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The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild has a long history of delivering excellent theatre and this interpretation of Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale is a worthy inclusion to this formidable tradition.

As the audience enters the intimate space of the Little Theatre they are immediately confronted with the large two-hundred-and-seventy-kilogram form of Charlie (Sam Wiseman) correcting papers on his couch amongst the disorder of his fast-food containers and wrappers. Charlie is an internet English tutor who has isolated himself in his apartment after the death of his partner Alan. Charlie continues to eat himself to death despite the ire and medical assistance of his only friend Liz (Annie Matsouliadis) who is a nurse and the sister of Alan.

As Charlie has a heart episode, he encounters Mormon Elder Thomas (Liam James) knocking at his front door and who attempts to spiritually save Charlie. Before he dies, Charlie wants to reconcile with his alienated and bitter daughter Ellie (Tianna Cooper). Later his estranged former wife, Mary (Jessica Merrick), who he left for Alan, discovers what has become of Charlie and she learns of his attempts to re-engage with Ellie.

Hunter’s poignant story embraces the themes of redemption, love, connection and grief. It was transformed into a very successful film adaptation earning Brendan Fraser an Oscar. In this production veteran director Geoff Brittain returns the story, as he states, to “the intimacy of live theatre, we return Hunter’s original vision: a story that unfolds in real time, in a single room, yet manages to encompass a world of longing, regret and possibility.” Brittain achieves a beautifully touching production.

The closeness of the Little Theatre aids in bringing a visceral element to the production as the audience is brought close to the chaos of Charlie’s apartment. Production Manager, Ray Trowbridge, and Stage Manager/Set Designer, Leah Klemm, are to be congratulated for the use of the space – all that is missing is the smell to fully bring the apartment alive.
A part of the great success of this production is the physical appearance of Charlie. Bree Roberts’ foam latex prosthetics along with the makeup and costume by Gillian Cordell and Sandy Faithfull brings an outstanding element of realism helping to portray the difficulties of Charlie’s movements and struggles of his large body size, adding greatly to the development of the Charlie character.

Sam Wiseman is commended for the balance of seamlessly handling the difficulty of the physicality of the large body suit with his brilliant portrayal of Charlie. Wiseman’s performance is affecting and impressive. Additionally, the rest of the cast, Annie Matsouliadis, Liam James, Tianna Cooper and Jessica Merrick are superb in their roles.

This production of The Whale from every perspective is a moving triumph worthy of full houses for its entire run.

Reviewed by Rob McKinnon

The Whale remaining sessions are:

Wednesday 12 November at 7:30pm
Thursday 13 November at 7:30pm
Friday 14 November at 7:30pm
Saturday 15 November at 3pm
Sunday 16 November at 3pm

Venue: Little Theatre
The Cloisters, Victoria Drive, University of Adelaide

Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1324506

To book tickets to The Whale, please visit https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1324506.

Photographer: Richard Parkhill

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I Do, I Do, I Do

02/11/202501/11/2025 Peta Williams🥉

I Do, I Do, I Do Rating

★★★★★

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From the moment the curtain lifted at the Arts Theatre, the audience was in for a delightful ride. Therry Theatre’s production of I Do, I Do, I Do, directed by Sue Wylie, comes alive with great pace, sharp comic timing and infectious energy. The stage bursts open with wit, warmth and wonderfully controlled chaos, delivering a highly polished, laugh-a-minute theatrical performance that left the audience beaming from start to finish.

Based on Robin Hawdon’s delightfully tangled comedy of romance, mismatched expectations and wedding-day panic, this production leans fully into the farce while maintaining a grounded charm that makes every moment resonate. The result? A show that sparkles with energy, personality and honest heart.

At the centre of this whirlwind is seasoned performer Helen Geoffreys as Ann, the elegant mother-figure and linchpin of chaos and control. Her portrayal is beautifully layered—poised, witty, patient and exasperated—she holds the stage with effortless command. She deftly balances Ann’s dignified exterior with the growing mayhem of her family’s matrimonial misadventures, bringing genuine warmth to the humour to the character.

That said, this is far from a one-woman triumph. Paul Pacillo as Jamie, Laura Lines as Holly (stepping in two weeks before opening night – quite the achievement), Jess Corrie as the very conflicted Diana, Stephen Bills as Geoff and Tom Tassone as Tom were all uniformly strong, with each performer demonstrating a wonderfully consistent ‘posh’ high society accent, crisp delivery and fabulous comedic rhythm. The chemistry is seamless; the actors bounce off each other with precision, enhancing every misunderstanding. Nothing feels rushed, nothing drags, and each joke lands exactly where it should.

The production’s pacing is exceptional—bright, buoyant and confidently sustained. Physical comedy is used cleverly and sparingly, ensuring that character and intention always lead the humour. The comedic timing was on point making the laughed out loud moments genuine, whether through a misunderstanding, a revealing glance or the inevitable romantic entanglement. Complementing the action happening within, the living-room setting was both elegant and functional with the furnishings and space feeling warm and ‘lived-in’.

Above all, this production is simply fun capturing the spirit of Hawdon’s premise of “one bride, three grooms, and a tangled web of misunderstandings”. The experience felt celebratory and full of heart making Therry Theatre’s production of I Do I Do I Do a sparkling success—smartly directed, beautifully performed and overflowing with charm and comedic excellence. For anyone looking for a fun, laugh-out-loud, heart-warming theatre performance, this one comes highly recommended. A joyous, laugh-out-loud triumph.

To book tickets to I Do, I Do, I Do, please visit https://therry.org.au/.

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Radium Girls

26/10/2025 Nicole V🥉

Radium Girls Rating

★★★★★

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There’s something different about a theatre performance based on real stories. Radium Girls tells the story of the young girls and women who were unknowingly poisoning themselves at work every day. Being taken advantage of by the men of the company and the physicians they thought they could trust, we follow the story of Grace and her friends Irene and Kathryn as they fight for their voices to be heard and their dues paid. Do not worry if you don’t know much of the story; the script and cast will provide you with context and hold your hand through this fight for justice.

As we follow Grace’s story, we meet a smattering of interesting characters who brighten the stage. The cast list is smaller than the character list, so you can expect to see some faces on more than one character, but with speedy costume changes – paired with some impressively quick accent changes – you’re never confused as to who is who. If you find yourself needing a guide, the well-formatted program the company has on offer provides a helpful cast list.

And a rather professional cast, I feel is important to note. With opening night jitters of missed lighting cues, the cast didn’t allow it to deter them, delivering their lines as though nothing were amiss. Missed cues aside, the lighting was strong, showing an array of colours to aptly represent the mood for each scene. Showing off the simple yet powerful stage which, at first glance, shows little more than some stunningly coloured green windows and a giant analogue clock face. This versatile stage will transform from the US Radium Company’s factory, to Grace’s family dining room, to a courthouse, and more without missing a beat, and never leaving room for confusion.

It’s easy to find yourself immersed within the story, but every now and then a monologue will take you by surprise, leaving you wide-eyed. With moments carefully chosen to address the audience, don’t be surprised if you leave and find yourself unable to stop thinking of particularly emotional moments. Even with these crafted moments to make the audience think, the show itself is not hard to follow, and easy to feel a connection with every cast member on the stage (no matter which character they are portraying).

The only thing I wish had been utilised more was the glowing radium. I spotted some glowing aprons, but seeing some glowing shoe soles, watches on characters, or paintbrushes would’ve been a treat. Otherwise, everything else was perfectly orchestrated for every character’s individual personality, from their accents and body language to their tailored costumes. The stage was used to its potential, with little to no dead space in any scene, the costumes matched the era, the cast supported each other with excellent chemistry, it was engaging, and the sound effects didn’t overshadow the cast.

A thought-provoking show, the story of the radium girls will remain an important retelling, and Galleon Theatre Group has provided us with a wonderful rendition.

To book tickets to Radium Girls, please visit https://www.galleon.org.au/html/radiumGirls.html.

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