Gaslighting has become an integral word to a modern-day vocabulary, so much so that it was named as Word of the Year in 2022 by Merriam-Webster in response to a climate where issues of manipulation and coercive control are much more openly discussed.

It was therefore interesting to see Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 play from which the word was coined hit the Roslyn Packer Theatre as part of an Australian tour commissioned by Queensland Theatre and produced by Newtheatricals. With any play of this nature it is interesting to compare it to more modern plays. Here, in some respects the play feels strikingly relevant, and perhaps unsurprisingly in others, feels quite obsolete. 

In the play, Bella, a relatively young Upper-class woman of the Victorian era, is believed to be suffering from madness as she seems to continually steal things and lose items of value like her mother’s pearls. She is supported by her husband Jack, whom she met on a trip to Switzerland as well as their housekeepers, the long-standing estate manager Elizabeth (who pre-dates the couple in the house as she used to look after the murdered former owner) and the new maid Nancy, who struggles to stay in line with the expectations of the couple and of Elizabeth. As the events of the play become increasingly unusual, more frightening details of the real culprit behind the disappearances come to life, including the connection to the previous owner of the house. 

The play starts very slowly and spends a good amount of time setting the scene through the first act. To some extent this is necessary, but it labours after a point. The reasons underlying the behaviour become repetitive and predictable after the first few occurrences which means that the cliffhanger at the end of the first act is not entirely unforeseen. While the play is already significantly condensed from its original form, even tightening of the exposition in the first act (even if it transformed the play into a one-act production) would be highly beneficial. 

The second act is where the play is at its finest, with twists and turns that keep the audience on their feet, supplemented nicely by the stagecraft of Director Lee Lewis, set designer Renee Mulder and lighting designer Paul Jackson. The ending of the production is truly chilling and the atmosphere created takes the tension up a significant notch as the play reaches its climax. 

In the end, the ‘gaslighting’ is more of a side show, as the play really says quite little about coercive control to a modern-day audience. Rather, it is more interesting as a piece of entertainment in the ‘Mousetrap’-style whodunnit tradition, although it does not quite hold the tension in the same way as that production. 

In addition to the quality of the production and the intrigue of the story, the acting makes this play shine. Geraldine Hakewill is incredible as Bella, exploring all the nuances of her character with passion and drive which really makes the story. Toby Schmitz is also strong as Jack, feeding enough nuggets into the character to make his reveal believable for the audience. Kate Fitzpatrick arguably does not have enough moments to shine as Elizabeth but when she does towards the end of the play she certainly makes them count while Courtney Cavallaro is a solid Nancy. 

As an aside, I couldn’t find any clear trigger warnings on any of the boards around the theatre nor in the program mentioning the physical and domestic violence that occurs on the stage. Given the seriousness of the action on stage, it would have certainly been worth a mention. 

Overall, this is an interesting production of a classic tale, which has increased relevance in the current climate. While not everything lands like it probably used to, it is still an exciting production to watch with incredible production and direction and top-quality acting. For those wanting to see a demonstration of craft at its finest, this is one not to miss. 

Rating: ★★★★

Gaslight plays at the Roslyn Packer Theatre until 8th September. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Brett Boardman