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[title]Bella Manningham is a young wife who seemingly has it all – a nice home, a comfortable upper-middle class life in Victorian-era London. Her housekeepers attend to her every need, and her husband Jack appears attentive and loving. So why is Bella constantly on edge? Something is amiss in the Manningham household.
Patrick Hamilton’s 1940’s suspense-thriller, Gaslight, has fascinated audiences for some eight decades – and now, Sydneysiders have the chance to see a brand new modern adaption of this classic play. This reinvention by respected Canadian writer/performers Patty Jamieson and Johnna Wright is sure to thrill fans of Hitchcockian whodunnits and classic melodramas. Following enthusiastic reviews around the country, this epic production will play its final shows at Sydney’s Roslyn Packer Theatre from August 21.
Beloved star of the stage and screen Geraldine Hakewill (who you might know from her lead role in Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries) is Bella, and her performance as the paranoid wife was commended by Time Out Melbourne in their 4-star review. She’s joined by Boy Swallows Universe star Toby Schmitz (Amadeus at Sydney Opera House) as the deceptive husband; with legend of the stage Kate Fitzpatrick and rising star Courtney Cavallaro as the dutiful servants.
Throughout this timeless story, we watch as Bella becomes increasingly haunted by footsteps in the night, and the flickering of gaslights dimming without a touch. Despite her husband's insistence that she’s simply going mad, Bella soon discovers the sinister truth behind these nightly horrors.
While Gaslight has seen many iterations – including the 1944 film adaptation starring Ingrid Bergman – modern audiences might be more familiar with the common term the play inspired: “gaslighting”. If you’ve had even the most fleeting of contact with pop psychology discourse, you’ve no doubt heard it. The word “gaslighting” has become a simple shorthand to describe abusers who manipulate their victims by causing them to question their own sanity. It’s perhaps the most alarming of all the red flags out there, and given that the term has permeated popular culture, the writers of the new adaptation have peppered this domestic-peril thriller with a few modern twists. Meanwhile, director Lee Lewis brings the thriller to life with thunderous storms, well-timed lightning cracks, dramatic shadows and chilling lighting effects.
This epic show has been produced by Rodney Rigby for Newtheatricals (Come From Away, Jersey Boys, Good Night, Oscar) and Queensland Theatre. You also have the chance to get up close with the cast and crew on Thursday, August 22, at a special post-show Q&A event featuring director Lee Lewis and the cast.
Gaslight is playing at Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay, from August 21 to September 8. Tickets available now, starting at $69.90. Get yours here.