Locals set for Gaslight theatre

A gripping mystery, Gaslight, set in Victorian England is set to enchant Geelong’s audiences this month.
Geelong Repertory Theatre will stage its two-week season of Gaslight from 8pm this Friday at Geelong West’s Woodbin Theatre, with matinees at 2pm this Sunday and 13 July.
The play is set in fog-bound London during 1880 when an unexpected visitor confronts lead character Jack and his anxious wife, Bella, who gains a new perspective on marriage and her sanity from the experience.
The cast boasts a long heritage in the Geelong theatre scene, with Ben Mitchell and Madeleine Field in the lead roles.
Jack Laurie plays Rough, Caroline Edwards is Elizabeth and Swinburne film and television student Lily Connor appears as Nancy.
The Victorian thriller will be Melissa Musselwhite’s debut as a director.
Musselwhite said she was particularly pleased about directing Ceres’ Ben Mitchell, whose father Dennis, a local theatre legend with wife Elaine, died recently.
“I performed alongside Ben, Dennis and Elaine for Theatre of the winged Unicorn in shows such as What the Dickens, so it’s really nice to be able to cast Ben in my first directional role.”
Other local input to the show includes Allard Pett’s design of the set, which he also built with the help of Winston Bar and Stuart Pett.
Mary Steuten is the show’s production coordinator and Julie Beveridge is in charge of costumes.