• Advertise
  • About us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us
Monday, July 14, 2025
Australian Times News
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
Australian Times News
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

REVIEW | The Hatpin

Award-winning Australian musical The Hatpin makes its European debut in London, retelling the chilling true story of one mother’s desperate plight to retrieve her missing child.

Bianca Soldani by Bianca Soldani
08-11-2012 15:55
in Lifestyle
Hatpin Co Newspaper

Hatpin Co Newspaper
HAVING received critical acclaim at the 2009 Sydney Theatre Awards, and being highly praised at the 2008 New York Musical Theatre Festival, Australian musical The Hatpin is now making its European debut at the Blue Elephant Theatre in Camberwell.

The narrative follows a young, poverty stricken mother, Amber Murray, who advertises her baby for temporary care in the belief he will have a better life. Her baby is sought out by the wealthy “baby-farmers” family, the Makins, but Amber is soon driven by suspicion and desperation to hunt down the illusive couple when she is continually denied access to her child.

Set in central Sydney at the close of the nineteenth century, the musical is inspired by one of the most shocking court cases to occur in Australian history. Not to worry though, this isn’t typical Australiana and you won’t be berated by badly disguised or overtly Aussie accents.

Tucked away between the winding streets of Camberwell, far from the bright lights of the East End, the Blue Elephant Theatre provides a perfectly intimate setting for the show. The dimly-lit theatre is shrouded in a blanket of haze from the moment you walk in, giving the impression you’re literally stepping through the mists of time to a much darker, drearier age.

The stage is completely bare, broken by a semi-transparent curtain and furnished only with a couple of rickety wooden chairs. The dense fog adds a depth to the shadowy backdrop which is pierced by single spotlights. The intensity is only diffused by the mist that bathes the stage in a soft glow.

The direction exhibits a strong influence of physical theatre, using bodies as a form of expression to create an element of dynamism to the otherwise static set. The unchanging lighting, backdrop and overall tone of the musical does lead it to the edge of tedium at points, but the monotony is mostly broken by the physicality of the performance.

The quite substantial cast fill the stage adding movement and confusion to build tension, and empty it to accentuate themes of loneliness and destitution. At other times actors gather in the background, emerging through the fog in a dance-like trance, like phantoms haunting the stage.

AlsoRead...

Source: Pixabay

The Dating Wealth Gap Is Getting Wider: What You Should Know

11 July 2025
Premier-Leagues-Fifth-Champions-League-Janosch-Diggelmann-Unsplash

The Battle for the Premier League’s Fifth Champions League Spot: Who Will Prevail?

8 May 2025

The excellent blocking and use of freezes throughout the entire show create picturesque scenes that beg to be photographed at every turn.

Hatpin-Rehearsals taken by Adam Trigg

Gemma Beaton gives an inspired performance as Amber Murray, portraying the very human side to the young mother’s plight. Vocals in the predominantly female cast were strong overall, with a lone piano providing the backing to the generally quite moving musical pieces.

Some numbers, such as “Puddles”, are less lyrically inspired than others, with lines such as “puddles are just puddles, when you look at them you’ll find they can never really hurt you”, seeming a tad juvenile considering the gravity of the context.

The Hatpin is a haunting and incredibly emotive tale of motherhood, suspicion and doubt, true friendship and the pursuit of justice. This musical is a must-see for theatre enthusiasts, so if you’re up for a trip to South-East London, don’t miss this show.

The Hatpin is playing at the Blue Elephant Theatre in Camberwell until 24 November. See www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk for tickets.

Nearest tube: Oval (Northern Line)

(Images: Adam Trigg)

Tags: Arts and LiteratureAustralians in Londonentertainmentliving in Londonliving in the UKmusicalsStage and screentheatreUK Australian News
DMCA.com Protection Status

SUBSCRIBE to our NEWSLETTER

[mc4wp_form id=”2384248″]

Don't Miss

The Dating Wealth Gap Is Getting Wider: What You Should Know

by Fazila Olla-Logday
11 July 2025
Source: Pixabay
Lifestyle

The divide between wealth and romance is growing. As income inequality widens, financial status is playing a bigger role in...

Read more

The Broker who says ‘Yes’ when Banks say NO

by Pauline Torongo
8 July 2025
The Broker who says ‘Yes’ when Banks say NO
Business & Finance

When faced with constant loan rejection or last-minute withdrawals of support, Trelos Finance stands out as a solution.

Read more

Common Mistakes When Buying a Telescope — And How to Avoid Them

by Fazila Olla-Logday
1 July 2025
Common Mistakes When Buying a Telescope
Technology

You’ve spent hours scrolling through telescope specs online, dazzled by features and grand promises. The excitement builds—until your newly arrived...

Read more

From Portugal to Bali: Where Aussies Should Go for Your Next Coastal Holiday

by Fazila Olla-Logday
20 June 2025
Source: Flickr
Travel

Aussies, here is a guide to where you should go for your next coastal holiday.

Read more

Leading with Trust: Why Quality still wins in the AI Era

by Pauline Torongo
5 June 2025
Leading with Trust: Why Quality still wins in the AI Era
Business & Finance

If you're leading a software team today, you've likely noticed the shift: faster feature rollouts, routine automation, and AI taking...

Read more

How to Save on Airport Parking: Budget Tips Every Traveller Should Know

by Fazila Olla-Logday
3 June 2025
How to Save on Airport Parking
Travel

Saving money on airport parking can be a challenge,but here are some budget friendly tips to help you navigate.

Read more

Why Australian Investors are Betting on the Aviation Maverick Louis Belanger-Martin

by Pauline Torongo
28 May 2025
Why Australian Investors are Betting on the Aviation Maverick Louis Belanger-Martin
Business & Finance

Bélanger-Martin’s ambitions stretch beyond redefining inflight comfort—they’re rooted in resurrecting the romance of supersonic travel with a modern twist.

Read more
Load More

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status

  • About us
  • Write for Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • T&Cs, Privacy and GDPR
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status