Dot Dot Dot

A carnival fortune teller, a well-to-do man, a woman of the night and a decidedly dusty man converge on The Old 505 Theatre stage for Dot Dot Dot.

Written, designed and musically directed by Sydney theatre stalwart Drew Fairley, and directed by Gareth Brockman, the play explores themes of money and power against the backdrop of colonial Australia in Easter, 1900.

Featuring musical performances, Dot Dot Dot is an actor-driven murder mystery that takes the audience along for the ride to find out ‘whodunit’. With an array of colourful characters, you’ll be questioning their motives and alibis as Fairley exposes the power of local media in harnessing speculation.

“The play starts as a classic Victorian murder mystery…then it becomes something else,” explained Fairley. “[The media] creates confusion around fact and exacerbates opinion so for what happens after…when you can control a community’s fear, you control the community.”

Fairley’s second attempt at theatre through a colonial lens, his previous work, The Stallion of Death, was produced by the Darlinghurst Theatre Company in 2008. “I think it’s a very interesting time…We see the Victorians as being ‘stiff upper lip’ and yes they were, but there was also an incredible period of reform,” said Fairley. “Education was the number one place for this and it’s why the tabloids came to birth.” (ES)

Nov 10–28, 8pm. Old 505 Theatre, 5 Eliza Street, Newtown. From $22. Tickets & info: old505theatre.com