The Secret of Chimneys

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http://www.genesiantheatre.com.au

06/03/2021 until 17/03/2021

Fantastic Entertainment in a Delightful Setting

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman

Directed by Molly Haddon with Sandra Bass as Assistant Director, this murder mystery is a great fun filled play with all the humour, passion and outrageous plot twists you could possibly handle. The Secret of Chimneys is playing at the historic Genesian Theatre until 17 April.  

As with any good murder mystery production the fun lies in the journey, so I am remiss to share too much regarding plot. But the ‘must knows’ of the play is that it is set at the Council Chambers within a mansion in a small village. Whilst Lady Caterham (played phenomenally by the multi-talented Sandra Bass) just wants to enjoy outdoor activities, her golfing aspirations are put on hold for the weekend when several unique and peculiar persons arrive to town and trouble starts boiling.

The small cast performed phenomenally, and each executed the complicated nuances of their character with great skill, including their accents which range from French to English to Eastern European. Jack Elliot Mitchell (playing Monsieur Lemoine) and Rodney Stewart (playing Tredwell) both offer fantastic comedic relief to the play and Abbie Love is utterly charming as the excitable and mischievous Billie Eversleigh. 

The set has been beautifully considered and offers an excellent medium for the actors to engage in. Small touches such as working desktop lamps provide the production with a high quality. Likewise the lighting was well done and complimented the tone of each scene. Costumes are colourful and vibrantly reflect each characters personality and backstory.  The venue itself is gorgeous and allows the actors voices to carry throughout. Combined, all of these well thought out elements allow the perfect backdrop for the audience to focus on plot and dialogue. 

The Secret of Chimneys is a shining star in the saddening dark Covid-19 theatre world that offers a thrilling and enlivening night out for all which guarantees the audience will walk away with a slightly higher spring in their step.