Presented by: Stirling Players
Reviewed: 13 March, 2026
To open their 2026 season, Stirling Players have brought one of Noel Coward’s lesser performed works to the stage, Peace in our Time.
Written by Coward in 1946, it is set in an alternative history where the Battle of Britain was lost and Germany had successfully invaded and occupied the United Kingdom. The play is set in the 1940s in the saloon bar of a London pub, the Shy Gazelle. This somber, extremely wordy play (running at over 2 hours and 30minutes) wasn’t as well received as some of Coward’s more comical and uplifting plays, but he used it to examine the complex human responses to occupation.
Director Geoff Brittain has assembled a large ensemble of seventeen actors, all of varying acting experience. There are some excellent moments in this show that Brittain has carefully guided. However, the pace of the show, especially in act one, drags. More continuity in line delivery, volume and accent work would have lifted the performance. There were also many fumbled lines and awkward pauses in the delivery on opening night. Some key dialogue moments, especially between Linda Lawson (Janet Baird) and Brendan Clare (Chorley Bannister) felt disjointed and unnatural. Lots of their interactions require fast paced, snappy interactions, but the gaps in dialogue made these moments get lost. Their overall performances were solid, but these key moments needed the drive and vigour to build the tension between them.
Tim Williams and Shelley Hampton wonderfully played the publicans Fred and Nora Shattock. Add in Tianna Cooper as their daughter, Doris Shattock, and this trio gave a believable performance as a family. Williams and Hampton’s heart-wrenching moments in act two were excellent.
As cabaret stars Lyia Vivian and George Bourne, Tegan Gully-Crispe and Adam Schultz worked extremely well against each other. Their dialogue bounced magically between them and at times they both brought much needed light into the scenes, as did Annabel Whittford as Alma Boughton. Whittford’s presence on stage always caught your attention.
Only featuring in a few scenes, Harri Wolff as Phyllis Mere gave one of the more believable performances in this production. From carefully timed responses to excellent accent work, Wolff was brilliant. As the elderly couple Mr and Mrs Grainger, Peter Bleby and Bronwyn Chapple gave a beautiful and caring performance. Without wanting to give plot away, you felt their anguish throughout and by the end you want to adopt them as your own parents or grandparents.
One genius inclusion to Peace in our Times by Brittain was the inclusion of live underscore by pianist Kristin Stefanoff, who played the old bag lady found in so many pubs sitting in the corner sipping on whatever drink she could afford. Era-appropriate songs, such as A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square, There’ll Always Be An England, and We’ll Meet Again, only added to the emotion behind the play and elevated the production. Stefanoff also accompanied Gully-Crispe for two numbers, I’ll Be Seeing You and For All We Know. Gully-Crispe’s voice was sublime through these two numbers and gave a real depth to the emotions played out in the scenes before and after these songs.
The set, designed by stage manager Leah Klemm, is excellent. There is so much detail: the floor covering around the incredible bar, the stain-glass window, the peeling paint on the walls. The set almost becomes a character within itself, especially under the lighting of the brilliant Richard Parkhill.
Lighting design and operation by Richard Parkhill is both subtle and unobtrusive. Parkhill has this incredible ability to light a stage so your focus is drawn to where it is needed but naturally enough you are immersed into the production without being distracted by overdone lighting that is there for the sake of it.
Gillian Cordell and Sandy Faithfull’s costuming is up to their usual high standard. When you add in hair by Kathryn Stevens as well, it really gives you the impression you are a fly-on-the-wall of the Shy Gazelle.
This production, although written in 1946, still has relevance to today’s audiences. Stirling Players have done a remarkable job giving life to Peace in our Time. Running until 28th March, it is well worth a visit to the Stirling Community Theatre to be immersed into this alternate history, performed by a large and very dedicated cast.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Daniel Salmond
Production warning: this production contains depictions of stage violence, gun violence and simulated smoking.
Venue: Stirling Community Theatre
Season: Until 28th March 2026
Duration: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Tickets: $20 – $27 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://www.stirlingplayers.org.au/buy-tickets
Disclaimer: Kristin Stefanoff is a member of the Glam Adelaide Arts review team.
Adam Schultz, Annabel Whitford, Brendan Clare, Geoff Brittain, Gil Cordell, Harry Wolff, Kathryn Stevens, Kristin Stefanoff, Leah Klemm, Linda Lawson, Noel Coward, Richard Parckhill, Sandy Faithfull, Shelley Hampton, Stirling Community Theatre, Stirling Players, Tegan Gully-Crispe, Tianna Cooper, Tim Williams
