All the gang is here, Holmes (Eugene Gilfedder), Watson (Anthony Gooley), Mycroft (Darcy Brown), Professor Moriarty (Bryan Probets), even the housekeeper Mrs Hudson (Helen Cassidy) makes an appearance. The plot revolves around Moriarty and his nefarious plans to create and use a biological weapon to control the social direction in regards to overthrowing the residing political party.

The set and staging are stellar and add a lot to the visual impact of the play. It utilises rolling set pieces with large flat surfaces to reflect imaginative projected images and animated bits. These are used to show Holmes’ thought process and establish times and places. There is one scene in particular, a chase around the streets of London that is dizzying in its effectiveness.

The themes and sense of peril mirror our current times in many ways and give the proceedings a sense of relevance and impact. Over a hundred years later these characters still resonate. With its attention-grabbing production and quality cast, The Mystery Of The Valkyrie is an entertaining night at the theatre and one not to be missed. Its limited run lasts until March 19.
www.themysteryofthevalkyrie.com/

Set in 1967 against the backdrop of an Australia embroiled in the Vietnam War, three separate families pack-up their lives for Christmas at the beach where a freak storm forces their respective vacations to fall apart and intersect in the most magical way.

With a rollicking 60s soundtrack and star-studded cast including Queensland theatre luminaries Roxanne McDonald, Christen O’Leary and Bryan Probets, this sun-kissed revival breathes new life into Michael Gow’s adored Australian classic, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey from deep suburbia to the Gold Coast’s glitter strip for the ultimate summer fling.

“Plays like Away are what make us fall in love with theatre for the first time or all over again. This one bristles with life and death, joy and pain, love and loneliness, awakenings and awkwardness, the things we hold onto and the things we can’t let go of – for better or for worse.” – Director Daniel Evans

Away
25 October – 13 November
La Boite Theatre
www,laboite.com.au