by Arthur Wing Pinero. Red Phoenix Theatre. Goodwood Theatre and Studios. 22 Oct 2026
Red Phoenix Theatre is a company dedicated to premiering shows unseen in South Australia, a commendable enterprise. I have friends in the Adelaide Theatre community; I may have more adversaries after this review. Why? Because I am frequently amazed by our propensity for presenting what are effectively “museum pieces, then wondering why the young, novice, and disheartened veteran theatregoers do not flock to the theatre. Arthur Wing Pinero’s 1908 Edwardian satirical drama is a well-crafted play – of its day Red Phoenix has assembled, for the most part, an extremely capable cast and experienced director to present a piece that, while, as the Director’s Notes state, “Has many themes still relevant today,” would be lost on anyone but the theatre world ‘in-crowd.’ Sorry, but I am done with writing sugar-coated reviews.
Pinero does juxtapose the ‘new woman’ who appeared during Edward VII's brief nine-year reign with the traditional woman of the day, whose identity hinged on being a mother, daughter or wife. However, in this, it is as relevant as the State Theatre Company’s dreadful reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, in 2017. Then, Geordie Brookman’s ‘late-19th century, feminist tinderbox’ was billed to shock us all; it shocked us about as much as a gust of wind emptying a birdbath! Similarly, while The Thunderbolt features ‘mean girls’ and issues of “respectability versus morality” as a relevant issue, one only needs to venture into TikTok to see Pinero’s vision of this has morphed into something more insidious, virulent, pervasive, and toxic than he could ever have imagined in Edwardian society. The issues remain, but this play's rendition of them feels, to this reviewer, increasingly quaint.
Which raises the question: why this play?
Pinero’s construction of a theatrical moral quandary is sharp, witty and elegant. A wealthy brewer dies, apparently leaving no will. Greedy relatives circle, but an illegitimate daughter arrives from France, where she has been living. Secrets emerge. Documents disappear. Consciences falter. Lawyers argue. I enjoy intricacies of the well-crafted play. But admiration is not the same thing as engagement.
What struck me was not the production's quality but the dissonance between the material and contemporary life. This is not a criticism of the company.
Director Libby Drake makes interesting use of twentieth-century greed-themed songs pre-show and during the interval, presumably to emphasise the material's perceived modern significance. Drake trusts the text and her cast to tell the story clearly, honestly, and efficiently in the style it was written, so I had to wonder about this inclusion of contemporary music.
At the centre of the production, Michael Eustice delivers the evening's strongest performance as James Mortimore. Possessing natural authority and excellent stagecraft, Eustice consistently elevates the scenes around him. His ability to navigate Pinero's lengthy speeches without ever seeming laborious is particularly impressive. Steve Marvenek's comic timing as Stephen Mortimore opposite Eustice is exceptional, and whenever the pair share the stage, the production is enlivened. These two are pillars of the local temperance movement, but that doesn't temper their desire to share in a fortune made from beer!
Anne Doherty brings a nicely heightened hypocritical propriety to Ann Mortimore, while Katie Packer skilfully navigates Louisa Mortimore's social anxieties and handles what is effectively a Commedia dell'arte lazzi brilliantly. Together, they are entertaining in the play's Edwardian context. Annie Matsoulis’s, Rose Ponting conveys the vitriol of a shallow London socialite very effectively, keeping the character from becoming merely another member of an inheritance-hungry clan.
As always, Joshua Coldwell is a formidable presence. Some actors occupy a space on stage; Coldwell commands it. His Colonel Ponting has exactly what the role requires; he carries himself with self-importance, social status, authority, and moral indignation, all of which are superficial.
One of the evening's most accomplished performances is Elisha Johnson as Helen. The play's emotional centre rests on Helen’s moral fortitude, and Johnson largely succeeds in bringing intelligence, restraint, and the closest approximation of a convincing period accent to what could be a very sappy role. Accents presented an issue for me, particularly as the piece is set in Midlands England.
Jessica Corrie capably captures the pathos of Phyllis Mortimore, her Edwardian helplessness well balanced by Leighton Vogt’s terribly weak husband, Thaddeus Mortimor. While the actors play this relationship well, this dynamic is, in 2026, uncomfortably reminiscent of Nora and Torvald Helmer in Ibsen’s work.
Jai Pearce lends the young solicitor, Vallance, an understated authority that helps anchor the legal proceedings, while Tim Williams provides a refreshingly energetic cameo as Denyer, a local property agent. While clearly committed to his role, Malcolm Walton as Elkin periodically stumbled over his lines, disrupting the flow and timing of key exchanges; the role needs a strong presence to maintain tension in important scenes.
The design elements were appropriately suited to the period, but gentlemen always wore their waistcoats with the bottom button undone! However, as must be clear by now, the cast is not the problem. The direction is not the problem, costumes are not the problem, nor is the production itself.
No amount of theatrical polish can entirely disguise the fact that The Thunderbolt feels less like a living piece of theatre and more like an exhibit for analysis.
I did enjoy aspects of the evening, and I admired the direction and performances. Would I recommend it to lovers of academia and the history of theatre? Sure. If we genuinely want to develop new audiences in our theatres, why do we keep asking them to visit the museum?
If you love a period piece with some showcase performances, GO! See it!
John Doherty
When: 22 to 31 Oct
Where: Goodwood Theatres
Bookings: Closed
