Presented by Preachrs Podcast OnLine & OnStage
Reviewed 5 March 2017
It was a wonderful afternoon imagining myself back in the 1950s, the golden age of radio. It’s no surprise that the production was nominated for several 2016 Broadway World Theatre Awards, including Best Play and Best Director. On a bare stage with only vintage microphones, a wonderful touch, and an old style gramophone the actors took us back to what radio drama used to be.
Dressed in their best, as performers were back then, with scripts in hand the actors presented three engaging and entertaining detective stories with fast paced direction of well-crafted scripts, convincing and consistent American accents and well timed sound effects. We see the performers as their character and as actors ‘playing’ the characters, through the audience interaction/reaction with their physical actions, especially the fight scenes, which were very funny.
Julia Sciacca gave a wonderful performance as Candy Matson, private detective. She flirts with Detective Mallard, played by Benjamin Maio Mackay, when he questions her after she gets involved in murder and mayhem. Matson is ably supported by her friend Rembrandt, Eden Trebilco who also plays Johnny Dollar in the second story.
While Trebilco presents Dollar in the best film noire tradition of the hardboiled detective, we know he is at best a second stringer as his itemised expense account comes to a miserly grand total of just over $11 and he creates havoc wherever he goes. The final cast member Jennifer Barry gives a versatile and convincing supporting performance as a grasping, murderous wife, a shipping clerk and a young boy. The special guest announcer for this performance was Los Angeles based Australian stand-up comedian, Simon Taylor.
The performance was a delight in both visual and audible aspects. It was just how I always imagined the old time radio shows being performed.
Reviewed by Jan Kershaw
Rating out of 5: 4.5
Season ended
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