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Meet the Director and Playwright Emily McKendry

Once Upon A Grimm Night

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Emily McKendry is a multi-talented director, actor and playwright originally from Taree in NSW. Her first two plays, “The Haunting” and “Murder by Invitation” were very well received. Emily co-founded Odyssey Theatre in 2023 alongside Rebecca Smith and Caitlin Addinell. Today we take the time to meet Emily, writer and director of “Once Upon A Grimm Night”, an immersive storytelling escape room experience currently being performed in Sydney.

About Emily McKendry

What’s your favourite fairy tale from childhood? Why?

It’d have to be Cinderella. I used to love the Disney film with the little mice and their corn, then was a bit shocked when I read the Brothers Grimm version: naaaasty. The live action remake is right up there with my favourite comfort films.

Which character from Once Upon a Grimm Night is most similar in personality to the actor/actress who plays them, and how?

I’d have to say Jared as The Narrator and myself as The Witch. Originally, I had thought that I would play the role of The Narrator but I always like to hold open auditions because you never know who will walk through the doors. We’d asked Jared to prepare for The Grimm but when he came in he’d prepared for The Narrator instead. His take on this wonderfully cabaret manic style Narrator inspired me to totally rewrite the character for him. As for The Witch – she’s socially anxious and prefers cats and crosswords to people – I did not set out to write myself but here we are.

What makes your show different from other interactive experiences?

I think the various types of interactivity blended within the one show whilst still maintaining a strong narrative structure. Most of the show is in fact scripted narrative, then on top we’ve got audience improvisation, escape room puzzles, and interactive potion making.

 

Once Upon A Grimm Night
Once Upon A Grimm Night

Why did you decide to perform your theatre experience at Old Government House?

You just can’t beat the immersive nature of an actual heritage location. We could try and replicate it somewhere else but it would cost a pretty penny and still never achieve the same ambience. One of my favourite parts of the show is when the audience enter The Witch’s lair – the gasps and audible appreciation of the setting give me little bursts of joy every time.

Do you have any funny or interesting stories of how people reacted during the last season of your show?

How long do you have? Audience interaction means that no two shows are the same. Unfortunately, a lot of them reveal spoilers for the show but The Witch scene always gets some hilarious audience responses.

There is a section where The Narrator asks the audience to consider their futures. One show Jared walked up to a lady and joked that he saw a lot of cats in hers, then with absolute glee she ripped her jacket open and revealed a T-shirt that was printed with the faces of all her 10+ cats. We couldn’t have written that better if we’d tried.

I know you’ve written 2 plays in the past. What inspired you to write this storyline in particular?

I used to write and be a Theatre Production Manager for Dark Stories Theatre, and a few years ago they got approached to create a production in a winery for a winter festival. It didn’t end up happening because there just wasn’t enough time to create it, but I got inspired by the idea of winter and harvest. Traditionally what would you do at that time of year? You’d gather around a fire and tell stories. BOOM; Grimm was born.

If there was any magical object you could bring into this Earth realm from Ever After…what would it be?

I’ve got to go with a classic – a magic wand. I grew up on Harry Potter and desperately wanting to be a witch and not a muggle. I’ve got my bibbity bobbity boo and levi-o-sa down pat.

Is there a sequel in the pipeline so we can see the adventures The Witch and Grimm Volkov get up to next?

You know, so many people have asked me that! I did leave the play open ended on purpose purely because I love the stories that linger with you and make you consider different possibilities. When writing the ending I’ll confess I created a rough outline of their future adventures but as for a sequel, who knows? Never say never.

Where can patrons book tickets?

To book tickets to Once Upon A Grimm Night, please visit https://www.odysseytheatre.com.au/once-upon-a-grimm-night-parramatta.

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Interactive Storytelling Once Upon a Grimm Night

Once Upon a Grimm Night

Once Upon a Grimm Night Rating

★★★★★

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5

Picture this. It’s 8pm and you’re driving through a forest. It’s pitch black, except for the beam of your headlights cutting through the stillness. Lining one side of the single gravel road, silhouettes of inky branches reach over, like fingers beckoning you to continue to the house. Old Government House in Parramatta, Sydney. I have to shake off thoughts of ghoulish entities and murderous strangers hiding in the shadows! Maybe my imagination had run awry because we’d just entered Halloween month. Most likely though, it’s because I was on the way to see Once Upon a Grimm Night, an interactive play by Odyssey Theatre! Just the title had scary connotations.

I need not have worried, because I arrived safely and in one piece at Old Government House’s door. After we were greeted by The Narrator, it became clear that in Once Upon a Grimm Night, guests were adventurer travellers and not hapless victims, and this was going to be a live theatre experience with tons of humour, not horror.

Once Upon a Grimm Night is the brainchild of Emily McKendry, who wrote and directed the play. Emily says that her love of all things magical and fantastical inspired her to write about characters from the fairy tale realm. Once Upon Grim Night is set in the world of Everafter, and due to cosmic forces, our world and theirs have crossed for a short time, and we needed to help find a special something.

The Narrator, played with delicious relish and cheeky trickery by Jared Gerschwitz, was a chaos-loving mischievous character who reminded me of Loki with wicked laugh. He guided us in a quest to save Everafter, introducing the wayfarer travellers along the way to the other characters.

We first met Cly, AKA The Maiden, in the garden playing with a frog. Cly had an earnest innocence about her. I loved the way Phoebe Lumley Tow portrayed Cly, who was quick to deliver some very funny lines in response to audience participation . As Cly started singing, I had the impression that she was channelling Snow White, or Cinderella, or any another female stereotypical female fairytale character (which I think may have been the point).

 

Once Upon a Grimm Night
Once Upon a Grimm Night

 

The third character whose namesake is in the title, is Grimm Volkov, resident Everafter’s hero / heartthrob with fabulous fairytale prince-like hair. Grimm is played with a natural charm by Harlee Timms. Grimm assisted us travellers (or, “Princes” as he nicknamed us all) in the quest to find what we needed to save the realm.

Grimm led us to meet The Witch, a character who we could not help but warm to because of her sarcastic yet hilarious humour. Emily McKendry portrayed The Witch, and her spin on this character was unique. She wasn’t really an evil wicked witch as fairytale land stereotypically paints witches to be. Emily was quick to improvise answers with funny quips and respond to our questions, making us feel comfortable in her dark and dank basement. One of the highlights of the performance was held in the basement, where The Witch chose different audience members / travellers to interact with the magic potions to uncover a mystery.

The set up of Once Upon a Grimm Night is very original, with physical puzzles for us travellers to discover and solve in certain rooms. The Narrator was there to encourage us to work together and to ensure that most guests had a turn.
The costumes of all the characters added to the fairy tale feel. The cast had taken care to ensure their characters looked the part, right down to little details like the jewellery they wore, (especially The Narrator’s extended silver sharp finger ring) waist belts, corsets, billowy sleeves and black boots.

Odyssey Theatre selected the heritage-listed Old Government House as a fitting location for their performance. It was a former country residence, home to Governors and their families from 1800 to 1847. The play was performed both outdoors and indoors, allowing the audience to explore the rooms and experience a set that matched the story. The performance lasted one hour, though I would have liked more time to explore the house and its rooms.

Once Upon a Grimm Night was a unique and enjoyable experience. The small group I attended with was lively, and there was a lot of laughter throughout the evening as the audience banded together to solve puzzles. The interactive nature of this play would be an excellent opportunity for companies to bring their staff together for bonding. With the holiday season coming up, it would make a fantastic choice for an end-of-year Christmas party. Whether you go solo or with a group of friends, it is certainly worth taking a trip into Everafter where you can enjoy a hands-on potion-making activity and take part in clue-solving challenges that are perfect for clue finding sleuths.

Season run: Friday 3 October – Saturday 25 October. 3 session available at 5.30pm, 7pm and 8.30pm
Duration: One hour, no intermission
Old Government House. Parramatta Park, Pitt St entrance. Limited parking is available nearby.
Tickets: www.odysseytheatre.com.au/once-upon-a-grimm-night-parramatta

To book tickets to Once Upon a Grimm Night, please visit https://www.odysseytheatre.com.au/once-upon-a-grimm-night-parramatta
.

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No Day Like Today to See Rent: The Musical

Rent

Rent Rating

★★★★★

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A legendary rock opera is coming to the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House, ready to electrify the audience. Opening on September 30, 2025, Rent the Musical will run for one month and showcases an exceptionally talented cast portraying a group of young, struggling artists living in Manhattan’s Alphabet City in the East Village.

Set in the early 1992, composer and lyricist Jonathan Larson’s retelling of Puccini’s La Boheme explores battles with poverty and gentrification, love, addiction and the fear and impact of the AIDS epidemic. Yet amongst all of the hardships in their lives, this is ultimately a musical about hope, strength and passion. This group of characters discover the importance of connection and community, living in the moment (“No Day Like Today”) and to measure life in love (“Seasons of Love”).

Larson left a lasting legacy by openly featuring love themes between two gay couples and a duet between queer characters on a Broadway stage when the show first premiered in 1996. This milestone in queer representation in musicals deeply resonated with audiences.

With themes such as the hardships of trying to make ends meet, as well as the coming together of friends when it’s most needed, director Shaun Rennie says, “this show, like what Jesus Christ Superstar was in the 70s and what Hamilton was for that generation, Rent really is a show that spoke directly to the youthful MTV generation.” Now, a new generation of people will fall in love with Rent The Musical.

 

Rent
Rent
Rent

 

Larson wrote the book and subsequent multi-Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical for his friends but tragically passed away unexpectedly aged 36 from an aneurysm on the eve of his off-Broadway premiere. Despite this, the musical was performed the following night in his honour. Rennie, along with the cast, ensemble and crew, say that they continue to pay tribute to Larson nightly throughout this Sydney production.

Rennie has assembled an experienced and talented cast, all of whom have come from musical greats such as Jesus Christ Superstar (Tana Laga’aia, Calista Nelmes, Henry Rollo), & Juliet (Jesse Dutlow) and Hadestown (Imani Williams) Tina Turner (Kristin Paulse), Dear Evan Hansen (Harry Targett) and Hamilton (Googoorewon Knox). They all have strong voices that are needed for belting out some of Rent’s rock opera songs.

For the preview media call attended today, I got a small glimpse into Rent and I can see that it will be an eye opening full production. The staging is detailed, with revolving movements and the backdrop of typical NYC apartments flanked by the metal criss cross jigsaw of fire escapes. The lighting by Paul Jackson is moody and atmospheric. The moment the first note is played with the opening song, the ensemble moves together as one. They are all dynamic! The musical arrangements by Steve Skinner and the choreography by Bree Tipoki are beautifully fluid. It is a large ensemble and there are so many moving characters singing and dancing, all with perfect sharp dance angles and flashes of energy. For anyone who has never seen Rent before, or for fans who know that “525,600 minutes … a year in the life of friends”, this is going to be one fantastic musical not to be missed this Spring inside the Sydney Opera House.

Season run: September 30 – November 1 2025
Run Time: 2 hours and 35 minutes including interval
Tickets: www.opera.org.au/productions/rent-sydney

To book tickets to Rent, please visit https://opera.org.au/productions/rent-sydney/.

Photographer: Neil Bennett

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Toe Tap and Sing – Side by Side by Sondheim

Side By Side By Sondheim

Side By Side By Sondheim Rating

★★★★★

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4

Genesian Theatre Company’s “Side by Side by Sondheim” showcased music from one of the most influential minds of musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim. He had a gift of creating distinct characters, via his witty wordplay and catchy music and drawing you in their world. This was a toe-tapping and energetic evening of musical theatre celebration.

From their opening number “Comedy Tonight” (from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” 1962), until the closing song, “Side by Side by Side” (from “Company” 1970), I was reminded of the golden age of music in movies and musicals; a period when soundtracks were filled with memorable, timeless songs that really captured the emotions and stories on stage. I was transported back to that era by watching and listening to the outstanding performances of the Genesian Theatre cast. Martin Hong was one of the featured soloists and his steady, smooth voice, easy-going mannerisms and smile portrayed a boyish crooner charm akin to Cary Grant. One of the highlights of the evening for me was his beautifully emotive performance of Losing My Mind (from “Follies”1971).

Director Declan Moore and Music Director Ben Fan created a strong sense of nostalgia on stage, a complete evening where patrons were surrounded by the sounds and styles that defined a special period in musical history. The included songs by Sondheim were in the form of a revue, a collection of songs from 1957 and spanning the next two decades, rather than a performance of one of this musicals with characters and a plot. As a result, the talented featured soloists were able to showcase their expertise in becoming several vastly different characters, often flipping from one character to another quickly.

An example of this is when Sarah Dolan brought us into the mind of an acutely panic stricken bride-to-be with her auctioneer-like, expert mile-a-minute performance in the song Getting Married Today (from “Company”). This harried performance contrasted with her gentle rendition of Little Lamb (from “Gypsy” 1959), where her character Louise is a young girl, singing a lonely song to her plush toys on her birthday.

 

Side By Side By Sondheim
Side By Side By Sondheim
Side By Side By Sondheim

 

Kimberly Yuzon had an impressive vocal range, showcasing control and versatility. Her clear and expressive voice allowed her to convey the emotive tone of the songs to the audience. One of my favourite songs was her rendition of Send in the Clowns (from “A Little Night Music”1973) which was performed with heartfelt emotion.

Elizabeth MacGregor was equally at ease on stage, showcasing a truly beautiful voice. Alongside her solo performances, she sang with harmonious clarity alongside her fellow cast members. Her flawlessly precise and tongue-twisting rendition of “The Boy From…” (from “The Mad Show” 1966) was unforgettable and had the audience laughing. It was remarkable how she managed to keep a straight face while delivering the chorus of this lyrically challenging song!

It was a joy to see the pianist, Lindsay Partridge accompanying the actors visible on-stage for the whole of the show, instead of being in the pit below the stage or behind a curtain. He performed each song flawlessly with heart, his deft fingers no doubt flying with expertise across the keys.

Barry Neilson played the Narrator, who introduced each song and gave the audience some background information on the origins of the song. Barry played different roles, and his expressions on stage were notable and amusing. Being a revue, there were many songs which involved the cast to sing together. It was a joy to watch their interactions with each other and they appeared to be having a lot of fun.

Catherine McKinnon’s costume design for the 5 cast members and pianist Lindsay Partridge had a red and black theme, a clever choice of duo simplicity as the glitz and sparkle of sequins shone like diamonds under the lights. The bright globes, and silver dropped curtains that lit up the stage was a nice touch reminiscent of those glamorous Hollywood times of the past, a fitting view from co-lighting designers Michael Schell and Cian Byrne.

The Genesian Theatre Company has crafted an experience that is not only entertaining but also a profoundly meaningful tribute to Mr Sondheim. If it were possible, I would recommend hosting a special evening where the audience could attend dressed in tuxedos and dazzling sequinned, sparkling gowns—it would be the perfect complement to this extraordinary show!

Side By Side By Sondheim is playing at The Genesian Theatre, 2b Gordon St, Rozelle.
Season: 26 September – 1 November 2025

Tickets can be purchased via the following link:
www.genesiantheatre.com.au/events/side-by-side-by-sondheim

To book tickets to Side By Side By Sondheim, please visit https://genesiantheatre.com.au/events/side-by-side-by-sondheim/.

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