Review: MACHINAL at Goodwood Theatre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Thursday 21st May 2026.

Red Phoenix has moved home, and is now the resident theatre company at Goodwood Theatre, giving them the additional bonus of a proscenium arch and a curtain, extra stage lighting, and larger dressing rooms. They open their first season there with the expressionist play, Machinal, written by Sophie Treadwell in 1928, but never before performed in Adelaide, continuing the company’s mission to only stage premieres in Adelaide. It was inspired by the Ruth Snyder case. German Expressionism was an important movement across the Arts in the early part of the 20th Century and Richard Parkhill captures this perfectly in his lighting design, illuminating the equally relevant drama blocks-based set design by Michael Eustice and Kate Prescott.

From the very first production, Red Phoenix has become known for two things. The first is the commitment to only present works that have never been staged in Adelaide. The second is the reputation for high quality work, something that has won both the company and individual performers a string of awards over the years, including a good many prestigious awards from the Adelaide Critics Circle. This production adds to that reputation.

Directed by Michael Eustice, Machinal is the story of Helen, a stenographer, who marries her boss, George Jones, to escape her mother’s stifling control and to gain financial security, even though she finds him disgusting. She cannot stand to be touched by him, and suffers depression after having a baby girl, whom she rejects, and then, after six years in her unhappy marriage, she has a passionate affair with Richard, a man she meets in a speakeasy. Wanting to escape her situation, she murders her husband, is tried, convicted, and sent to the electric chair.

Michael Eustice has assembled an impressive cast for this production, led by Kate van der Horst as Helen, a role in which she is onstage throughout. She gives a magnificent performance as Helen, an emotional rollercoaster of a role that she negotiates with great authenticity.

The curtain rises on an office, and the play’s title is immediately embraced as each of the office workers mechanically perform repetitive movements, and repeat phrases. They are the compliant cogs in the corporate machine. Helen arrives late, and George Jones, calls for her as he wants to dictate a letter. Everybody knows that he has his eyes on Helen, with a view to marriage.

Matt Houston appears as George Jones, creating an unlikeable, insensitive, and obnoxious man, seemingly oblivious to Helen’s feelings towards him. Helen tells her mother, played with an appropriate coldness by Sharon Malujlo, that she has had a marriage proposal. Her mother is immediately against it, until she realises that the suitor is wealthy, and that his money could benefit both of them.

The others in the cast each, Trevor Anderson, Laura Antoniazzi, Nic Betts, James Grosser, Lisa Lanzi, Sophie Livingston-Pearce, Steve Marvanek, Stuart Pearce, and Leighton Vogt, each fill several roles, and they act very effectively as an ensemble.

Eustice makes good use of all of the minor roles, giving them as much focus in his direction as he gives to the major roles, meaning that this performance has great strength across the board. Keep an eye on all that is happening in the background when the full cast is onstage. He also makes excellent use of pauses, the extended silences as important as the alternating moments of action and dialogue.

Between each of the nine episodes, the cast and crew change the set, which primarily uses black drama blocks and stools, the changes carried out under intense blue lighting, to industrial sounds from sound designer, Sean Smith, reminiscent of the Musique Concrète of the 1940s. Moira Moore’s costumes, particularly those for Helen, reflect the period accurately, and wigs are used to aid in creating different characters.

To say too much about the play would be to spoil it for future audiences, but suffice to say that there is so much in this play, and the riveting performance, that captures the attention and imagination that the time seems to fly past.

The sudden, dramatic ending, and blackout, left the audience stunned into silence, the tension holding for a considerable time, not even breaking when the lights came up again. It was only when the cast moved from their tableau to take their bows that the audience breathed again and burst into applause.

This production only runs until next weekend, so do not wait a minute to book tickets. You won’t want to miss this one.

Photography, Richard Parkhill.

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