Charlotte Varcoe
A MURDER mystery will have theatre lovers on the edge of their seats, as the Mount Gambier Theatre Group take to the stage for the final weekend of their latest performance.
Their latest production ‘Rehearsal for Murder’ follows a man who attempts to hunt down his fianceé’s killer through a screenplay a year after her death.
The woman was originally considered to have committed suicide with the dedicated fiancé bringing the killer out into the open through a theatre performance.
It was a play that director and theatre group member Harley Austin had been keen to perform for several years.
“Since having the cast together I have been able to see what everyone is doing and I am glad I decided to wait this one out,” Mr Austin said.
“The casting I have now is great and I also have more experience under my belt in regards to theatre as well.”
Mr Austin said rehearsals had been a success despite challenges due to Covid-19.
“We have had people who had to read lines online due to isolation and each time we have had at least one person off during rehearsals,” he said.
“There have also been a number of people going into quarantine at different times and although it has been a bit of a struggle, we have gotten through it.”
Mr Austin said he enjoyed observing how the cast acted in a melodrama with many specialising in comedies.
“This genre is something many of us don’t usually do and we were all excited to see each other in a different light,” Mr Austin said.
“There are a lot of areas in the production that the cast were really excited about and looked forward to and expanding their genre was one of them.”
Mr Austin said he was not in the audience himself watching the production on it’s opening night last week, but was instead waiting in the lobby to hear people’s reactions.
“I wanted to see people when they came out during the interval to see whether they talked amongst themselves about who they thought might be the murderer,” he said.
“I am similar to the director in the play itself and don’t like watching my own opening night but I hoped people would get involved with the production.”
The performance will be held at the Wehl Street Theatre this Friday and Saturday night beginning at 7.30pm.
Tickets are available from at www.trybooking.com. Tickets are $15 for concession and $20 for adults.
