Following their exceptionally good A Promenade of Shorts – Season 3 in January, Red Phoenix Theatre returns to the Goodwood Theatre with another absorbing production with Machinal, highlighted by outstanding performances by the cast and particularly Kate van der Horst who is superb in the lead role.
Machinal was written in 1928 by journalist and playwright Sophie Treadwell who, like everyone else at the time, was fascinated by the trial of Ruth Snyder with her lover Judd Gray who murdered her husband in their New York home in Queens on their seventh attempt. The courthouse was packed with journalists and celebrities, and every detail of the crime was picked at by the masses. Treadwell’s response to what would drive someone to commit such a crime is the central theme of Machinal, that of a person crushed by the grind of modernity, work, expectations of marriage, and motherhood on a young woman.
Machinal, takes place over nine scenes (or episodes), Episode One, ‘To Business’ begins with the sounds of office machines, typewriters, adding machines, and other noises and the routine of the office unfolding with the Adding Clerk (Trevor Anderson) speaking in numbers, the Telephone Girl’s (Laura Antoniazzi) bright greetings and the rest of the circular activity and gossip of the office workers (James Grosser, Lisa Lanzi, Sophie Livingston-Pearce, Stuart Pearce and Leighton Vogt). Their boss, Jones (Matt Houston) enters and the office snaps to attention, Jones enquires about Miss A., who is late again to work, as he wants her to take a letter, but he really has other intentions for her. When the Young Woman/Helen (Kate van der Horst) arrives she sees Jones, but she can’t do his letter because her “machine’s not working”. The episode concludes with a skilful monologue by the Young Woman/Helen about Mr Jones wanting to marry her and other imposing thoughts about her situation.
Episode Two, ‘At Home’, centres on the Young Woman/Helen’s discussions with her mother (Sharon Malujlo) intermingled with the sounds of the radio and voices in the street, about her unsureness of marriage and the weight of expectations on her which all feeds into the events of the later episodes.
The production of the play is impressive, the modular minimalist set transforms easily between an office, an apartment, a hotel room, a court room, etc. Light design by Richard Parkhill also adds to the shadow and brightness pressing in on the Young Woman/Helen. Sean Smith’s outstanding sound design is additionally crucial to the tremendous success of the play. The whole production moves adeptly around under Michael Eustice’s direction.
The cast as a whole are brilliant. Kate van der Horst’s mastery of the role of the Young Woman/Helen is formidable as she tackles the many difficult monologues and swings of the role.
Bringing Machinal to South Australia for the first time is a resounding triumph for Red Phoenix Theatre, continuing their line of excellent productions.
Reviewed by Rob McKinnon
Rating; 5/5
Production Details
Thursday 21 May 2026 – Saturday 30 May 2026 (UTC+09:30)
Goodwood Theatre 166 Goodwood Road, Goodwood SA 5034
The telephone rings, trilling through the darkened living room three, four, five times. The bedroom light flicks on, illuminating the telephone and the desk it rests upon. A woman appears, yawning, in her dressing gown.
She answers the phone, but no one responds. “Hello?” she says again, looking at the handset in confusion. It’s in that moment she feels fabric tightening around her neck as she is shoved onto the desk, fighting for air …
“Dial M for Murder”, presented by Galleon Theatre Group, is not only a beautiful demonstration of inner turmoil, but simplicity on stage. Everything from the set design to the costumes is simple, elegant, and beautifully complementary. The set has been expertly crafted to enhance the impact the lighting has on key moments within the story. Key moments which have also been carefully paired with a spine-tingling score to set your nerves jangling.
Not only will your nerves be frayed, but you can expect to find yourself holding your breath in anticipation more than once, wondering “how on earth will they will get away with this?”
With a small cast of five you expect the chemistry to be high-quality, and the cast from Galleon Theatre do not let down their audience for a moment. With heartfelt confessions, scheming, dastardly deeds, and inquisitive inspectors, no interaction felt unhurried or unconsidered. Each moment was carefully plotted from the facial expressions to the smooth, natural use of the entire stage.
The stage, which has a distinct air of being its own character, is deceptively simple at first glance, but after some observation has clearly been well curated, not just for the performance but also for the actors. The set feels cohesive and lived in, just like the flat of a married couple should.
Be sure to keep your eye on this married couple, for their body language and voice control are expertly maintained … until they’re not. Dressed impeccably, and with barely a hair out place, Mr. and Mrs. Wendice navigate the new twist their marriage has undertaken, while a desperate Mr. Halliday and the calculating Inspector Hubbard do their utmost to make sense of how the slimy Captain Lesgate fits into the story. Be sure to watch the costumes carefully, each one perfectly suited for their character, and even being used as a plot point … The audience will find themselves on the edge of their seat to see if the good guys will prevail and the bad guys will get what’s coming to them, with laughs, gasps, and sinking feelings along the way.
Review: The Taming of the Shrew – The Adelaide University Theatre Guild
The Adelaide University Theatre Guild’s new adaption of one of Shakespeare’s more problematic plays puts The Taming of the Shrew into a new realm of pop and rock music to great effect while still holding mostly true to the original text.
Dispensing with Shakespeare’s original play within a play concept, and instead of being set in the usual Padua, this version is set in Paradise which is “a powerhouse record label and the battlefield is the charts.” The play begins with Bianca (Jessica Merrick) and her band singing and dancing to her pop song, then enters Katherine (Heather Crawford), her rock chick older sister with her band and her sharp edges.
Bianca has two suitors, Gremio (Martin Penhale) and Hortensio (Macey Lawson) who wish to marry her but her mother, Minola Baptista (Deborah Walsh), will not agree to anyone marrying Bianca until her older sister Katherine is married. Lucentio (Ben Proeve) arrives with his loyal servant, Tranio (John Charles), and Lucentio also falls in love with Bianca. To try to win her love, Lucentio disguises himself as a tutor for Bianca and Hortensio disguises himself as a musician to also gain access to her to try to do the same. Tranio disguises himself as Lucentio to help convince Minola Baptista to allow Lucentio to marry Bianca.
Standing in their way however is Minola Baptista’s demands that the quarrelsome Katherine be married first. Petruchio (Tom Tassone) arrives and after hearing about Katherine he decides to court her, and he is assisted in this task by Gremio and Hortensio. Upon meeting Petruchio, Katherine resists his advances, but he is not discouraged and he sets a wedding date and so begins the taming of the shrew.
Setting the play in Paradise and revising it for a contemporary time is successful and adds a welcome fresh dimension to the play, although the audience seemed to be a little confused by Bianca and Katherine’s entry. In addition, modern music references to the original text brings many humorous elements. The limited space of the Little Theatre always adds production issues, but both levels of the theatre are skilfully utilised by Olivia Jane Parker’s first-rate direction. In addition, the music includes songs by Ben Waller and two songs by Macey Lawson.
The whole cast handles the fast-moving proceedings superbly, Tom Tassone as Petruchio, John Charles as Tranio with Macey Lawson as Hortensio are particularly impressive. Heather Crawford delivers Katherine’s long final monologue exceptionally.
This version of the thorny The Taming of the Shrew, set innovatively in the modern music scene, is outstandingly well performed and adds to the long line of exceptional productions by the Theatre Guild.
Reviewed by Rob McKinnon Rating; 4/5
Production Details
Venue: Little Theatre, Adelaide University, The Cloisters, Adelaide SA 5005
Performance Dates: Saturday 9 May – 3pm Sunday 10 May – 3pm Wednesday 13 May – 6:30pm (w/ post-show Q&A) Thursday 14 May – 7:30pm Friday 15 May – 7:30pm Saturday 16 May – 3pm Sunday 17 May – 3pm
The Bubbles Festival Melbourne: A celebration of all things sparkling!
Natalie Pickett founded The Bubbles Review 10 years ago, when her first blog educated those who thought Moet was spoken like the end of the word, “ballet”, with a silent T, when really, it’s pronounced “Mo-wett.” Natalie should know. When working as a tour guide in Europe, on a guided trip to Moët et Chandon, she confirmed this exact fact.
Natalie’s ‘Bubbles Reviewers’ Club’ offers members monthly rewards, tasting technique masterclasses and more discoveries and invitations via www.thebubblesreview.com
I met some of her club members on Saturday, 2nd May, for Bubbles Festival Melbourne, at River’s Edge Events in the World Trades Centre – in a room with a stunning view of the Skyline Wheel and Polly Woodside. Holding our complimentary Riedel sparkling glasses (included in our tickets), we were all thirsty to begin when Natalie welcomed our group and spoke about some important terms to remember before sampling the bubbles on offer. She reminded everyone to hold their glass by the stem, as best to view the bubbles in the middle. We were advised to enjoy the experience of each sparkling with each of our five senses; even holding the glass to our ears – as though listening to a seashell on the beach – and to take in the scent with our noses, as far as they’ll go into the glass before tasting.
“Bubbles – Just like a hug in a glass” and “ABC = Always Bring Champagne” slogans called to us from TV screens around the room. After this, we would visit all the Exhibitor tables to indulge in the exquisite selection.
In between tastings, we were served trays of various Canapés – including Truffle and Mushroom Arancini. We also indulged in a succulent seafood station and a cheese station – perfect bubbly food companions.
Ian was the friendly host from Clover Hill. He poured my first tasting with CLOVER HILL TASMANIA EXCEPTIONELLE MULTI-VINTAGE, (59% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Meunier) – a light straw/green hue in the glass, vibrant citrus and stone fruits on the nose and crisp acidity on the palette.
My second tasting was the CLOVER HILL TASMANIA ROSÉ MULTI-VINTAGE (66% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier) with fresh vibrant strawberry notes upfront on the nose. The palate was layered and creamy with red forest fruits, to a balanced, long finish. This one was sweeter than the first and a little too perfumed for my taste – still a lovely sparkling.
My third taste was the CLOVER HILL BLANC DE BLANCS MULTI-VINTAGE – Tasmania with 100% Chardonnay. This one reminded me a tad of the lovely Billiecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV from France. It too, is characterized by aromas of citrus, white peach, and brioche with a creamy texture.
Tasmanian cool-climate sparkling wines are dominating at the moment, having taken out all the trophies at the 2025 Australian Sparkling Wine Show and Clover Hill is no exception, having been recognised by The Real Review as one of the best producers in the country. They are consistently ranked among Australia’s top producers with a 5-star Halliday rating.
Ian had a fourth offer in CLOVER HILL ROSÉ D’ASSEMBLAGE MULTI-VINTAGE (63% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir, 8% Pinot Meunier), which I didn’t get to sample as I felt drawn to the French table while there was a lull in the crowd.
I met Jean Paul at the Philippe Fourrier table for a quick chat. Since 1847, this family Champagne house located in Baroville, is anchored in an exceptional terroir, the Côte des Bar, in the south of Champagne appellation area.
JP’s first French pour was the CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPE FOURRIER – ROSÉ DE SAIGNÉE (NV) (90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay) with a light red to deep rosé hue and orange reflections, its fine and persistent bubbles adding elegance in the glass. The nose opened with ripe raspberry and fresh red berry aromas.
JP’s second French pour was LOUIS PERDRIER FRENCH BRUT (NV) – Bordeaux – France (100% Chardonnay), an exceptional French Sparkling. Deliciously toasty notes melt into the scent of golden apples. Gentle and harmonious on the palate with some richness tempering the citrus finish. For me, this was the best sparkling of the day.
The third French pour was CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPE FOURRIER – PINOT MEUNIER BRUT (NV) – Champagne, France (100% Pinot Meunier), with a beautiful pale-yellow hue and fine bubbles bright in the glass. The nose offered fresh red fruit aromas of subtle blackberry, hints of peach and plum. This one seemed a tad light to me after the Brut.
Lastly, I met Kathy at the Sutherland Estate stand – a small, second-generation family-owned enterprise located at a picturesque location in Dixon’s Creek, a mountainous area, past Yarra Glen in the Yarra Valley. Her first pour was SUTHERLAND ESTATE – 2021 BLANC DE BLANC SPARKLING – Yarra Valley (100% Chardonnay). Made from 100% Chardonnay in the Méthode Traditionelle, with secondary fermentation and ageing in the bottle.
Kathy’s second pour was her SUTHERLAND ESTATE – 2023 SPARKLING TEMPRANILLO (100% Tempranillo.). This renowned sparkling red is unique because we don’t often see a Tempranillo here in Australia. Sutherland have been making it for more than 12 years, and it’s all grown onsite. It has spent twelve months in seasoned barriques before undergoing secondary fermentation on lees in the bottle made Méthode Traditionelle, having a powerful burst of mid-palate fruit of berries, dark cherries, a bit of liquorice, with peppery spice and earthy undertones to finish. The palate is medium-bodied and well structured, with fine tannins and a persistent bead. A great match with cheese and charcuterie. It had the power of a sparkling Shiraz and I’m keen to visit their Cellar Door for more.
I tried the SUTHERLAND ESTATE – 2025 SPARKLING ROSÉ (with 100% hand-picked Pinot Noir). Whole bunches of Pinot are harvested from the vineyard and come into the winery and straight into the press immediately leading to the gorgeous pale salmon colour. The aromas are bright and enticing with rose petal, strawberry and perfume. On the palate were strawberries and cream. A delightful summer’s drink, but for the last glass of the day, I had to return for one last taste of the Sparkling Temperanillo.
Illustrator, Susan Kerian, who some recognised from her work with retailer, ‘Blue Illusion’, returned to showcase her original illustrations – perfect for ‘Emily In Paris’ fans and Francophiles.
All sparkling wines and Susan’s artwork could be purchased on the day so, I happily departed with my order for delivery of four of the LOUIS PERDRIER FRENCH BRUT (NV) from Bordeaux, two of the CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPE FOURRIER – PINOT MEUNIER BRUT (NV) – from Champagne in France and six of the SUTHERLAND ESTATE – 2023 SPARKLING TEMPRANILLO from the Yarra Valley, because according to F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
All of the exhibitors offered great deals for purchasing on the day. I’ve never understood why tastings sometimes don’t allow that, but at Bubbles Festival, you could take the wine with you on the day, or get it delivered later, which was ideal. $5 from each ticket went to the Sacred Heart Mission, St Kilda. Natalie chooses a different charity to donate to in each of her state’s events.
It was a sunny 25degree day in Melbourne and I tasted some new and exciting Sparklings and Champagnes, met like-minded and vivacious souls, feeling the fresh bubble of life, therefore, I thoroughly recommend attending the Bubbles Festival.
Here are the other states’ Bubbles Festivals, coming soon:
Brisbane – 9 May 2026 – Get your tickets here! Sydney – 22 & 23 May 2026 – Get your tickets here! Adelaide – 6 June 2026 – Get your tickets here! Perth – 20 June 2026 (TBC) – Join waitlist here!
