Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (reviewed Saturday 17 May 2025).
Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall can be best described as ‘almost as good as Fawlty Towers’. This madcap comedy by Mark Kilmurry & Jamie Oxenbould, directed by Sue Turner and presented by Arts Theatre Cronulla had the audience squealing with laughter.
It’s a meta play-within-a-play where the ‘show must go-on’, inspired by the recent pandemic which saw some plays during that era having to cancel last minute due to cast members testing positive for COVID. Whilst some theatre companies chose to make do with whatever was possible (Club Ryde had an actor do their lines via Zoom), this show decides to double up (or triple up) the roles given to each actor. This strategy almost works….until it doesn’t. Raising the stakes is the fact that the council want to takeover the theatre space for more ‘commercially-viable projects’ (booooo, hiss!!!). Members of the council are also in attendance on opening night (eeep!!!) Whilst such stakes would give anyone a mental breakdown, director-writer Shane Tweed (played by Michael Gooley) is determined to not cancel the show. ‘Challenge accepted!’ say his coterie of actors, after much kicking and screaming and peacock parading. After all, actors can do anything, they are ‘the opposite of people’ (to quote Tom Stoppard from one of his plays).
Act 1 establishes the unfolding crisis and the actors’ temperaments, with a lively philosophical discourse about the nature of community theatre , how there is no money in it, but it is done for the sake of art. Some audience members I spoke to afterwards thought this Act was a bit slow, but as a budding actor I felt engaged and inspired by it. The need to feed our egos with applause, glowing reviews etc is brought up, and as someone who has seen it ‘all go wrong’ in theatre I could appreciate what the writers were trying to convey. A few less cringey sex jokes would have made it less jarring, but Act 1 for me overall was very good.
Act 2 is a wild ride as actors flounder on stage to get through the play, with plenty of visual surprises to keep the audience rolling with laughter. Dropped lines, missed cues, wrong sound effects and damaged props are handled with outrageous solutions. It almost runs of steam as the cards are rapidly shown like a game of speed poker, so maybe one more final trick up the sleeve (eg something like a totally random stranger appearing on stage to fill a dropped line, leaving everyone bewildered), would have kept the momentum going. There’s plenty of room in this play to experiment a little further and push the envelope, but I did enjoy the opening address to the ‘audience’ (ie the real audience) as though we were part of the play.
The cast do an excellent job of throwing their voices into different roles and characters; clearly there is no greater gift as an actor than the chance to transform and ‘show range’. Well done to Angela Gibson, Arianne “Flossie” Hough (awwwww!), Michael Gooley, Brendan Jones and newbie Samuel Owen; I thought poor Samuel really was being taken hostage on a drowning ship.
Councils take note: theatre is very much alive and necessary for the community soul.
Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall is playing at Arts Theatre Cronulla til 14 June 2025. For tickets and showtimes, go to https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1310123
CREDITS:
Writers Mark Kilmurry & Jamie Oxenbould
Directed by Susan Turner
Cast
In order of appearance
KAREN Angela Gibson
PHILLIPA Arianne “Flossie” Hough
SHANE Michael Gooley
BARNEY Brendan Jones
RICHARD Samuel Owen
Production Team
Director Susan Turner
Stage Managers Jenny Valentic, Suzie Stipanovic, Karen Firmstone
Set Design Michael Gooley
Lighting Design Craig Oberg, Andrew Hall
Set Construction Paul Bailey, Dave Chapman, Mathew Dewar, Julie Freeborn, Andrew Hall, Steve Keene, Neil Moulang, Bill Schreiber, Steve Blewitt, Vicky Daniels, Connie Dimarco, Michael Gooley, Laurie Keane, Geoff Langton, Anna Pain, Neil Tinker
Sound Production Gary Clark
Poster & Program Graphic Sophie Turner
Cape Design and Creation Jeanette Munn
Niece Voiceover Maryellen George
Happy Birthday Singers ATC Youth Drama Class Students
Wardrobe & Props Lesley Tinker
Production Photos Port Hacking Camera Club
Images Graham West