But only for two unforgettable nights – Tuesday 31st Oct and Wednesday 1st Nov. Here we meet one of the concert’s principal performers – Georgia Leigh – whom we chatted to for the insider’s view of A Night With The Villains.
About Georgia Leigh
What do you enjoy most about acting?
I love the way being an actor can transport you to so many different places and be a completely different person to yourself. It’s so fun being able to play different characters. I personally love going out after the show and meeting the audience, hearing what they think and interacting with them as myself.
What productions have you acted in before?
I have worked mainly in Musical Theatre, with most of my professional experience in Children’s Theatre, starring in roles such as Sophie in Mamma Mia and Nancy in Oliver! And Rosalie Mullins in the QLD Amateur Premier of School of Rock. I have performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival with JALLY Entertainment, performing as Snowy in Snowy and the 7 Cool Dudes by A.J. Bailey and have performed this show in 6 states and territories.
What has been your favourite role so far in your career?
I met my husband playing Sophie in Mamma Mia, so I am probably slightly biased in thinking that’s my favourite role. In terms of the most challenging, I think that would have been Rosalie Mullins from School of Rock, she is very different to who I am, so it was hard being a tight arse, but that’s what made it so enjoyable.
What do you think makes a performance most believable?
I think that a believable performance has heart. I find performances most believable when I can sense the deep connection to the character and can feel and see myself in those moments.
Are there any particular genres or types of roles that you prefer or feel most comfortable in?
I love working in the Children’s Theatre. Although physically demanding, it brings me joy knowing that I could potentially influence future young actors. I remember watching shows at my school and thinking how amazing it was, and I hope I am bringing that same feeling to others.
About A Night With The Villains
What is this Production about?
A Night With The Villians is the amazing brainchild of Elodie Boal and Trent Sellars, with help from Jennifer B Ashley and Jackie Fredericksen along the way. Imagine having all the best villains in the world returning for just one night (in our case, 2!) and tormenting you with fabulous song and dance. Truly, it is a match made in Halloween heaven, but you can’t just take my word for it!
What character are you playing, and what can you share with us about them?
I am playing the Wicked Witch character. As soon as I was posited with going green for this show, I was all in! Some of the best roles are painted green, so I am actually honoured to be doing it for this one! Everyone in this show has a unique character, and it is so wicked and fun to see them transform at rehearsals.
Why did you want to be involved in this production?
I spent a year in America in 2019, and the difference between American Halloween and ours cannot be understated! When Elodie approached me about being a part of a Halloween show, you bet I was ready brooms-a-blazing. Being a part of a supportive cast and crew was also a major draw card. These guys have been the BEST to work with.
What sort of person is going to love this show?
Everyone who loves a bit of a spook and something quirky will love this show—bringing a little bit of Musical Theatre, Film and Television together in one jam-packed 2-hour thrill. Everyone has their moment to shine and tell their own unique story with iconic songs and amazing dancing.
What’s going to surprise people about this show?
How amazing the talent is in Brisbane (though we already knew it!), the cast is so solid in their performances and deliveries I think that people will be amazed.
Georgia can be seen in A Night With The Villains from 31st Oct to 1st November in the Ron Hurley Theatre in the spooky Seven Hills Hub.
Confessions of a Serial Killer is coming to Brisbane on the 6th of October, and here we take the time to chat with Actor/Director Garth Remington in our Meet The Actor Series.
So let’s put the spotlight on Garth and learn more about him and the Confessions of a Serial Killer Production.
About Garth
Why do you want to be an actor?
I love performing in live shows, seeing the audience’s instant reactions or viewing the finished product after filming projects.
What do you enjoy most about acting?
Seeing all the little ways you can help improve a project. It’s incredibly gratifying when you find a way to add something that takes the whole production to another level.
What productions have you acted in before?
I’ve been involved in Dark Stories since its first show in Brisbane, including The Haunting, Female of the Species, and To Hunt a Killer. I am also a standup comedian, improviser, sketch writer/performer, voice-over, and I’ve had a few film and commercial roles.
Do you want to work in film, live theatre or both?
I have been involved in both, and each has pros and cons. With film, you get to create complicated and perfected work, but in live theatre, you make something new every night, tailored to the audience’s needs on any given night.
How do you maintain your physical and emotional health while working on demanding projects?
You must include a decompression after a show run. Celebrate your achievements and take a stress break before taking on the next project.
Are there any particular genres or types of roles that you prefer or feel most comfortable in?
I’ve enjoyed all kinds of roles including thriller, dramatic and even romantic but my favourite is comedy hands down.
Have you ever had to improvise during a performance? If so, can you share an example?
All the time. Anything can happen in immersive theatre, and you have to be flexible. I’ve had a co-star forget their lines on stage, so I dived on the grenade (so to speak) and improvised as my character to give them and the rest of the cast a chance to regroup. It’s a good feeling to know you have everyone’s back.
Are you comfortable with performing stunts or action scenes? If so, what kind of training have you had?
I am; I’ve done a lot of martial arts and feel comfortable with breakfalls and fight choreography.
About Confessions of a Serial Killer
What sort of person is going to love this show?
Any fans of crime thrillers, murder mysteries or spooky things in general.
Why did you want to be involved in this production?
Immersive theatre is a unique format that can’t be experienced anywhere else. Every single session is different as the audience will get involved under actor direction. As an actor you never know what to expect.
Who should not come see this show?
People who are not up for a scare.
What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?
After the show, I’d expect the audience to go home with lots of food for thought. I’m sure they will question their own morals and consider the nature of good and evil.
How is this production bringing something new to this story?
We have thought through the relationships between characters and found some fun. There will be a few laughs between the thrills.
What’s going to surprise people about this show?
The audience interactions: this show is not on a stage; we will be amongst the crowd, and unexpected things will happen.
Is there something else you’d really like to say?
Every Dark Stories production is unlike anything you will ever experience. There are so many reasons people will like this show, but you will never find another show like this.
Garth can be seen in Confessions of a Serial Killer, which only runs for three nights, from the 6th to the 8th of October, in the secluded sections of creepy Minnippi Parklands.
With a top 5 reasons to visit Brisbane, a what to do guide, along with a wide range of activities and attractions on display, you’ll be able get more ideas on what to do by reviewing the Brisbane Travel Guide – check it out for yourself.
The city oozes confidence and a positive, can-do attitude, fueled by youthful enthusiasm. It’s said to be the friendliest big city on Australia’s east coast, and strong migration from Southeast Asia and elsewhere has created a diverse cultural mix.
The spectacular scenery in the surrounding area, along with a comfortably warm year-round climate, friendly locals, and laid-back atmosphere make Brisbane an engaging and welcoming location.
In the days before electrical lighting, much could go on under cover of darkness. Australia’s most famous iconic waterfronts, such as the Hunter River, Sydney Harbour or the Brisbane River, under darkened nighttime skies, were dangerous places to be. Without starlight nor moonlight, the good folk of the city were at the mercy of dark creatures of the night.
In the past, rivers such as London’s Thames became somewhat infamous for the not-unusual sight of dead bodies to be found floating on the water from time to time. But these occasions were not just an issue limited to the Mother Country alone; in the days before the Federation of Australia, the coroner’s courts often had to deal with Jane and John Doe’s floating around their respective state watering holes.
But this was the least of the concerns on Mrs. Lee’s mind on one bright sunny afternoon in 1873. Mrs. Lee was doing what any ordinary person might do on a Saturday. She was coming into the Sydney Habour to spend some with the family, partake of some food and drink and return home by ferry to her Milson’s Point home on the North Shore of Sydney.
Her son-in-law ran a bar in Circular Quay, right on the edge of the Sydney Harbour shoreline. After a few hours of drinking and reminiscing, she decided to leave at 7 pm, perhaps noticing that her silver coins were beginning to run low. She had just enough left to pay the ferryman to take her to the other side of the harbour – her home.
It would be a strange time on the Sydney Harbour as bright daylight turned to a darkened cloud-filled night. The visibility was low. The watches on the various vessels mostly had to listen out for danger.
An apprentice, going about his work at around 9 pm on a vessel in the harbour, reported hearing a woman’s voice ring out across the water. She was shouting, “Police, police! Murder, murder!”. The young boy could very faintly observe a boat in the distance with two figures in it. The woman continued yelling, “You wretch! You will murder me!”. Having no means of leaving his boat and with a degree of helplessness, he yelled out to the pair, “Let the woman alone,” but there was no response, and the couple faded from sight.
Another boy on watch duty on a different vessel also heard screams and, in the dim light, shouted out, hoping to scare the attacker, “What are you doing to the woman?”. Surprisingly, a voice from the darkness hissed back at him, “Never you mind – you have got some colonial in you! An olden time for Australian insults.
Even across the other side of the water, screams for help had been so loud that the domestic servants of a notable residence at Kirribilli Point reported having heard similar cries.
On alert that some dark crime was taking place on the harbour underneath the pitch black of night, there was little anyone could do. The owner of a water taxi on the Circular Quay also noticed that his boat had vanished. Even more mysteriously, it had reappeared in its usual moorings when he returned about 2 hours later at 11 pm that same night.
The owner was furious as he noticed that the sail had gone missing. On closer inspection, however, indications of foul play became apparent. Despite evidence that someone had made some attempt to clean the boat up, the timbers of the boat were quite saturated in blood, with red splash marks located on the mast. There was little to do except report the news of his bloodied boat to the water police.
At 7 am early the next morning, a group of boys arrived by boat at Circular Quay and reported that they had seen the body of a woman floating amongst the rocks. The body was duly recovered and conveyed to the morgue at Circular Quay.
A post-mortem examination began, and the body, despite presenting a sickening spectacle, was identified as Mrs Lee’s. There was a very long list of wounds all over the body and limbs, and in the opinion of the medical gentlemen, these were inflicted during the final moments of the poor woman’s life.
The police began to trace her movements the night previous. When she left her son-in-law’s company, instead of going home, it seems she was seen in company with a waterman named Thomas in the Orient Hotel enjoying brandy and beer before the two left together.
The prospect of saving some coin may have prompted her to accept an offer of passage from Thomas. The savings would allow her to enjoy another round or two of drinks before retiring for the evening. For the waterman, it was a rare chance for some paid work after experiencing some lean times.
Thomas was about 45 years of age, a seller of fruits, and a licensed waterman. He was described as a miserable and sickly-looking man, with matted hair and beard and of mean stature and appearance. He was addicted to drink and, when in that condition, was said to become quarrelsome and given to fighting. Thomas was a Rocks resident, had a wife and six children, but had mostly been living on the kindness of others of late.
Still, on the same morning when the body was found, the water police knocked on his front door and asked him to account for his whereabouts the previous evening.
He admitted to taking the boat without permission, but he had returned it to its rightful place, although no one was about on his return.
He had taken a woman, Mrs Lee, across the harbour the previous evening but had landed her at Milson’s Point. No one else but himself had seen her land and he knew nothing about the blood in the boat. After dropping her home, he came straight back to Circular Quay.
He admitted he had shared a drink with the deceased the previous evening and had even been seen to shout her drinks at the Orient Hotel.
As the police were questioning Thomas, they were interested in the state of his white handkerchief that was wrapped around his neck, as it was spotted with blood. Furthermore, Thomas showed no apprehension concerning the clothes he was wearing. He had not changed during the night, and his vest and shirt contained blood spots. Police did not believe his claim about having a nosebleed resulting from a fistfight the preceding afternoon and duly arrested him for the murder.
Despite proclaiming his innocence during the trial, Thomas was found guilty. There appears to be no premeditation of intent to murder, and on his execution day, he seems to accept his fate, having a sound night’s sleep the previous night.
Thomas addressed the spectators, acknowledging the justice of his sentence and punishment and thanked the gaol authorities for their kindness to him. He expressed a hope that no one would throw any aspersion upon his wife and children, which affected him so much that he burst into tears. He then stated that the drink had brought him to the scaffold and bid those present goodbye.
The bolt was drawn on the gallows – and somewhat rare for an execution performed in the 1800s, he died instantly.
Mrs. Lee’s night out shows that not much separates the present day from the past. One often goes to the city to enjoy the company of friends and family over a glass of one’s favourite beverage before attempting to get home on unreliable public transport. Imagine for a moment doing so without the aid of electrical lighting to light your path, and it becomes apparent how much more dangerous the world was without electricity.
Mrs. Lee’s history, though, is just one of many personal crime stories that have played out in the iconic places we know so well. We walk about the streets of our city, completely unaware of the dark stories that have taken place.
We go into a bar or a fine restaurant, utterly unaware of the site’s bloody past. And really, this is all our Dark Stories Crime Tours are all about. Returning you to the scenes of iconic places where the lives and deaths of ordinary everyday citizens played out.
For a brief window of time, past lives and tragic tales are brought back to life in the very place where these events took place. But at least for a moment, the lives of those gone before us get to live again. Mrs Lee wanted to have a night out with friends and family, but fate intervened with other plans. But perhaps in some small way, by retelling her story today, she has achieved a kind of immortality in the process.
And as it is Australia Day Weekend coming up, our cities will again be filled with the sights and sounds of people enjoying food and drink in much the same light as Mrs. Lee. It’s interesting to wonder what a Dark Stories True Crime Tour would have been like in 1873; however, at least you can enjoy the 2020 vintage and rediscover the events of the streets around you.
