Review: THE THUNDERBOLT at Goodwood Theatre And Studios

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Thursday 22nd October 2026.

Red Phoenix opened its latest production, a four-act play, The Thunderbolt (An Episode in the History of a Provincial Family), written in 1908 by Arthur Wing Pinero and directed by Libby Drake, who has brought together a very fine cast. As always for this company, it is South Australian premiere. With the move to Goodwood, with its raised stage and proscenium arch, the company has new options available to it and, for the first time, they have constructed a full box set, designed by Kate Prescott and lit by Richard Parkhill, with considerable amounts of solid furniture, befitting the Edwardian setting. As an added point of interest, scene changes are carried out by the cast and backstage crew, under good lighting levels in full view of the audience, a well-choreographed exercise. The scene for the first act is at Linchpool, a city in the Midlands, in Ned’s home. The rest of the action takes place, a month later, in places in the town of Singlehampton, where the others live.

The story involves the Mortimore family and what happens when Edward Thomas (Ned) Mortimore, a wealthy bachelor, the black sheep of the family, and successful brewery owner dies, seemingly intestate, leaving his siblings to discuss the division of the spoils, until Ned’s greatly loved illegitimate daughter, Helen Thornhill, turns up. It does not take long to understand why Edward was estranged from his family. They are a thoroughly unpleasant group, three brothers and a sister, all avaricious. As Ann and Louisa, the wives of James and Stephen, and the sister, Rose Ponting, née Mortimore, sit closely together talking, the phrase “When shall we three meet again?” comes to mind, with a hint of Madame Defarge and the tricoteuses. They are a po-faced trio, looking down their noses at those whom they think are inferior to them, which even includes the youngest brother, Thaddeus, and his wife, Phyllis, who sit further apart.

Ned had been the eldest of the family, leaving James as the eldest now, a pompous and bombastic character who takes charge, wonderfully portrayed by Michael Eustice, matched by his equally unpleasant wife, Ann, played with a high degree of snobbishness by Anne Doherty.

There is a tight collaboration between James and the second eldest, Stephen Mortimore, given plenty of bluster by Steve Marvanek, whose wife is Louisa, played with a high degree of snobbishness by Katie Packer. There is also the obnoxious, overbearing, and entitled Colonel Ponting, more demanding than the brothers even though he is only family by marriage, played to the hilt by Joshua Coldwell. His wife, Rose, given an equally unpleasant persona, is played by Annie Matsouliadis.

The youngest brother Thaddeus Mortimore, treated with contempt by the others because he chose a poorly paid career in music and married the daughter of a shopkeeper, is played with browbeaten humbleness by Leighton Vogt. His mousey, quiet wife, Phyllis, is played by Jessica Corrie, displaying Phyllis’s belief that she is somehow the fault in the marriage and has held Thaddeus back. They have two children, Joyce and Cyril, who are spoken of numerous times, but do not appear.

The only decent person in the situation is Helen Thornhill, played with considerable dignity and composure by Elisha Johnson, adding another convincing performance and giving a wonderful contrast to the rest of them.

They are all in the legal hands of two lawyers, Mr. Vallance, the family’s junior solicitor from Crake and Vallance, of Singlehampton, played by Jai Pearce, and Mr. Elkin, Edward’s solicitor, of Linchpool, played by Malcolm Walton, two important roles that both guide and disrupt the actions of this horrible family, played with suitable detachment by these two.

There are brief appearances from Akira Hockley Miric, in the dual roles of Heath, a man-servant, and the Rev. George Trist, and Tim Williams, as Mr. Denyer, a real estate agent who beats a hasty retreat when he realizes that things are going sideways. There is consistently good work in this ensemble piece, right down to these minor roles.

Red Phoenix has a solid reputation for quality theatre that grows with every production. Be sure to get tickets for this latest performance.

Photography, Richard Parkhill.

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