Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (reviewed Friday 31 October 2025).
Set in NSW during the 1800s, Bunyip Barons refers to historic slang to mock those that sought aristocratic titles with the intent of creating greater divide between the elite upper class and convict working class. Timothy Smith’s play covers ample ground in his richly engaging script that examines Australian identity, history, and the role of prominent figures such as Louisa Anne Meredith.
The play is presented by Upstage Productions and directed by Timothy Smith.
During the play a (real) thunderstorm erupted which added a delicious layer of gothic-Halloween ambience. Smith describes his play as Dickensian and that is evident in Smith’s writing and direction, with characters that are austere, pretentiously proud, yet above all, wryly humorous and satirical. The actors fully understand this subtly which comes across in what otherwise could have been a very static and academic play.
Kristin Placko (of YouTube Dear Kristin fame) shines in the lead role of Louisa Anne Meredith, delivering a very enjoyable performance.
Master of the house Everard Coy (played by Don Ezard) is reminiscent of the cold business-like Jaggers in Great Expectations, while Silas Hegarty (played by John Brown) resembles Abel Magwitch as a humbled convict with a heart of gold. Ezard and Brown inhabit their opposing characters with gravitas and seasoned stage presence.
Mary Dawes (played by Bernadette Hunter) is the convict maid with a soft spot for her beloved Hegarty. Hunter’s performance is warm, sincere and strong.
Minnie Coy (played by Cecelia Smith) is more than a frittering wife; she’s steering her daughter’s prospects and has influence in her own quiet way. Minnie’s daughter, Arabella Coy (played by Olivia Riddell) is a ravishing beauty much like Scarlett O’Hara, spirited yet petulant and thoroughly bored by the lack of excitement and suitable men. Along comes charming Josiah Brownrigg (played in this performance by understudy and assistant director Micah Doughty), a lieutenant with a passion for Waterloo and war literature. Sparks fly.
Wallace Hopkins (played by Timothy Winkels) is the escaped convict returning for justice. Abrasive and rough with a poet’s heart, he earns Louisa’s esteem as being representative of the ‘true’ Australian type that she initially dismisses as being superficial and vulgar, unlike her British husband Charles Meredith (played by Neilson Brown) who we see briefly in the opening scene.
Rounding out the cast is Colonel George McClintock (played by Stephen Wheatley), a man eager to meet Louisa and seek her professional opinion on the book he is writing.
The opulent staging and bright, swishy costumes adds movement and colour to the story. Though the stage feels a little remote from the audience, we are drawn in by the performances and the exquisite luxury of stepping back in time.
Bunyip Barons is playing at Strathfield Town Hill til 16 November. For tickets and showtimes, go to https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1472995
Image Credit: Clare T Photography.