Presented by: Red Phoenix Theatre Inc.
Reviewed: 15th January, 2026
After a short hiatus to regroup and rejuvenate, Red Phoenix Theatre have made their much anticipated return to producing outstanding productions for South Australian audiences.
Opening their 2026 season is the third instalment of their ever popular Promenade of Shorts, where audiences have the opportunity to see nine ten-minute plays performed by the ‘who’s who’ of the Adelaide theatre scene.
In their new home base of the Goodwood Theatre and Studios, Red Phoenix have cleverly utilised three performance spaces — The Main Theatre, The Bar and The Studio. Audiences are split into three groups, and each group sees the three plays, before rotating onto the next three and the next, with a short intermission between each set. Each audience group is assigned a tour guide — Anne Doherty, Kate Prescott and Olivia Jane Parker. On opening night, I was assigned to Anne Doherty’s (the Tea Lady) group. Doherty’s character work never faulted. Her quick-witted ad-libbing was brilliant and she made sure all members of her group were catered for and in the right place at the right time (even supplying us with what seemed like an endless supply of Nice biscuits!).
In the Main Theatre, In Farce(by Steven Bucko), Chilled Wine (by Dorothy Lambert) and Go To The Light (by Laurie Allen) are presented. In Farce is expertly directed by Norm Caddick, who pulls out every trick in the book when it comes to directing a farce. The cast (Jo Coventry, Matt Chapman, Adam Tuominen, Anita Zamberlan Canala and Krystal Cave) bring bucket-loads of energy and all of the over-the-top acting that you need to pull off a good farce. The dialogue is snappy with gag after gag, often leaving the audience with no time to catch their breath.
The other two plays in the Main Theatre are both directed by Alicia Zorkovic. While both plays were cast with skilled actors (Chilled Wine: Jessica Corrie, Laura Tregloan Monkia Lapka and Go To The Light: Peta Shannon, Cheryl Douglas, Malcolm Walton and Tom Tassone), the blocking at times feels stagnant and the pace drags at times.
In The Bar, Hayley Horton has directed a unique trio of plays, presented in the round. Directing and performing in the round can be a challenge, but not once does Horton’s direction neglect any section of the audience. Bottle For A Special Occasion (by William Kovacsik), featuring Stuart Pearce and Lyn Wilson, was a heart-warming dive into how someone processes the passing of their partner. Both Pearce and Wilson approached this with great care and kept the pace feeling natural. The actors did a remarkable job at completely ignoring the audience mere feet away, making you feel like a fly on the wall looking in on a private moment. Immersing the audience into this play at the start with a wine tasting was also a wonderful direction choice.
On Queue (by Morey Norkin) was a fitting reprieve between the two more serious works from Horton’s trio of plays. Horton, by keeping Jack Robins as Man 1 relatively ‘normal’ in their approach to the part, gave oodles of space for Jethro Pidd as Man 2 to play the comedic character. Pidd’s comedic timing is exceptional. Between Horton’s keen eye for detail and Pidd’s grasp of comedy, pauses were always that little bit awkward and the sight gags (the Hamlet inspired skull cracked me up!) gave this play the zing it needed.
The final play in The Bar was Choices (by James McLindon), featuring Rebecca Kemp and Laura Lines. A play about an insurance policy once may have seemed far-fetched, but in today’s world, it almost felt real. Kemp is a tour-de-force in just about every role she performs, and this is no exception. You hang onto her every word. Between her craft and Horton’s direction, relative newcomer Laura Lines clearly received excellent mentorship. A great pairing on stage.
The Studio gave us three incredible plays directed by Libby Drake. Road Tripwas an absolute treat, not only in the play itself (by Jan Probst) but also in the cast full of brilliant comedy performers. Lindsay Dunn, Joanne St Clair, Katie Packer, John Rosen, Jai Pearce and Charlie Butler quickly had the audience in the palm of their hands with this BBC comedy-esque play (despite being set in America). They bounced off each other brilliantly, and Drake has directed this brilliantly.
Theatre royalty, Adrian Barnes and Lisa Lanzi, brought such sensitivity and care to When I Fall In Love It Will Be… (by Susan Middaugh). This emotionally packed short play was breath-taking to watch. Barnes and Lanzi are absolute masters of their art. You hang on every word, every pause, every look or small gesture. Each of these performers have done great things across their acting careers, and seeing them get to work together was an absolute highlight of this production. Bring tissues – these two, along with Drake’s sensitive direction, really pull on your heart-strings.
Closing out The Studio’s trio of plays was the side-splittingly funny Mrs Thrale Lays On … Teal (by Rob Taylor). With only five words in the entire play, Sharon Malujlo, Zoe Battersby and Michael Eustice work magic through different inflections, facial expressions and sub-text. I don’t think I have laughed this hard watching a piece of theatre for a long time, and I have found myself wandering around saying “Dr Johnson!” in a myriad of ways and giggling most of the day.
Promenade of Shorts — Season 3 is simply genius. I am still constantly amazed at how many people have not discovered the incredible theatrical performances that happen in Adelaide year round. This is the perfect way to be introduced to what Adelaide has to offer. Grab what remaining tickets there are and make a night at this smorgasbord of delicious, mouth-watering theatre.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Supplied by Red Phoenix Theatre
Venue: Goodwood Theatre and Studios
Season: Until January 24, 2026
Duration: 2 hours and 15 minutes (including 2 intervals)
Tickets: A: $29 / C: $23 / Goups (6+): $26 (plus booking fees)
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/DCUIT
