By Peter Kemp
The Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company opened 2022 with the production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.
An interesting plot about a young man who finds he is ninth in line to becoming an Earl. So he decides to even the odds.
Done as a musical set in Edwardian times the stage was set as an Edwardian stage with a blue surround and red curtains with a chair and table each side of the front of the stage.
The young man, Montague “Monty” Navarro, wanting to inherit the title to impress his girlfriend was played by Ryan Smedley. A good performance catching all the nuances and innocence of a man who was ultimately accused of murder. Smedley caught the right attitude for the role and projects well.
The nine members of the D’Ysquith family were played by Daragh Wills.
A versatile and wonderful portrayal. Wills played the roles with gusto and had to perform as women and men. He did this very professionally with seemingly no effort in changing characters. This is not as easy as it appears as one has to immerse himself into the character to convince the audience that he is real.
Navarro’s girl Sibella Hallward was played by Marissa Economo. A good performance, with a good rapport between Hallward and Smedley. Her scenes were both dramatic and amusing.
Navarro’s cousin Phoebe Y’squith was played by Chloe Taylor. Taylor projects well and gave a great performance in the role. One good scene was when Monty had Sibella in his bedroom and Phoebe came to visit. You can imagine the rest.
The rest of the company, seven in all, played many roles and added to the high standard of the production.
The choreography was superb, the lighting excellent and the director Alan Burrows is to be congratulated on such a smooth running, successful evening of theatre.
Theatre goers should be reminded that Ferntree Gully’s 1812 Theatre and The Basin Theatre are both opening on Thursday 24 February for the 2022 season.
