With actors and attendees alike dressed in their best 1920s glad rags, Marty MonStar’s “The Ransom Letter” transformed an intimate North Melbourne venue into a night of mystery, intrigue, and roaring fun.
“The Ransom Letter” follows private detective Joan Archer as she navigates crime, corruption, and depravity in 1920s Melbourne, all with her trusty gold revolver in hand. When Joan is caught in the midst of a political scandal, she must outsmart powerful players to win the game of survival. But Joan isn’t a successful private detective for nothing – she’s always one step ahead.
I felt very much like a film noir star myself as I slipped in from the rain and shook out my umbrella in the red neon lights of Club Voltaire. With the smoke machine on full blast, lights low, and Bessie Smith crooning over the speakers, the space had been transformed into a Jazz Age speakeasy. On stage, a single pendant bulb illuminated a candlestick telephone, a pack of cigarettes, and two chairs – Joan’s domain.
Play readings are often a fairly static affair, which I have no complaints about, but I’ll admit it was still pretty refreshing to see “The Ransom Letter” take it a step further, immersing the crowd with music, a set, and costumes. It gave us in the audience a little taste of the finished production and that extra touch is something I wouldn’t mind seeing more often!
Katrina Mathers played Joan with grace and humour, dishing out zingers and serving up whiskey (neat, of course). The play reading was narrated by David Macrae who, alongside Hélène Tardif, Ian Rooney, and Jonathan Griffiths, effortlessly juggled multiple roles, bouncing from stuttering suits to swanky flappers with ease. Their performances added a vibrant energy to the play, giving it charm and keeping the audience – and themselves, judging by a few off-script giggles – thoroughly entertained.
The baddie of the play, Prime Minister Howie, seems cheekily modelled after Australia’s former PM Billy Hughes, who was the founder of a couple of pretty notorious political parties. With this in mind, it’s easy to imagine what his character might be like. Ian Rooney brought Howie to life with a big personality, plenty of sleaze, and colourful language to match. Watching Joan and Howie’s frequent standoffs was a particular highlight for me – just picture two bulls butting heads, and you’ve got it.
As “The Ransom Letter” moves towards production, it’s clearly chock-full of potential. I’d love to see the main plot take centre stage from the get-go, giving that noir-esque suspense more room to build gradually. Joan’s persona shines naturally through her actions, and allowing the story to reveal the depth of her character lurking beneath her snazzy facade would add even more nuance to her role. The combo of film noir tropes and quintessential Australian humour made for an unexpected niche, but one that worked brilliantly; I hope they continue to lean into it.
“The Ransom Letter” was saucy, irreverent, and a little cheesy in all the ways the best film noirs are. I look forward to seeing it transform into a fully-fledged, glitz-and-glamour production. When the time comes, you’ll definitely find me returning in my best flapper dress and pearls.
Photography by H Long Nguyen Tran and Nelly Huang
This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.
