A Promenade of Shorts ~ Red Phoenix Theatre ~ Review

[Theatre, SA Premiere]

A Promenade of Shorts
Goodwood Theatre and Studios
Fri 15 Jan, 2026

The beauty of a good short story or short film is that there is no necessity to tell a whole story. There is the luxury to linger at any point, to explore the depth and breadth of that moment. It may be just a beginning, a middle or an end in itself. The nine plays in this collection of Shorts are all excellent vignettes, delivering a wide variety of unique talent. The atmosphere around the production is just as pleasurable as the plays. Goodwood Theatre and Studios is transformed into a mini-festival for the event, and the promenade style makes it fun to mingle and chat. There is something to suit anyone and everyone here.

In Farce

In the land of Farce all doors slam, multiple doors can lead to the same space, and regulations around people having affairs can turn love triangles into squares!  Lots of room for cads and opportunists to prosper in this slightly whacky, laissez-faire world. Farce meets slapstick with impeccable timing in this harmless and very funny romp. Adam Tuomeninen does a great job as the classic cocky two-timing husband.

Chilled Wine

Chilled Wine gives us a telling glimpse into what people say when they are gossiping about absent friends, and how callous they can be. The clever writing is witty and spot on. The twist that neatly weaves the threads together is highly entertaining. It reminds us with delicious humour how we can so easily judge others without properly getting to know them.

Go To The Light

Daddy’s lying on his death bed and his adult children have gathered to ease his journey towards the light. Daddy would like to update his social media status before he goes with a final selfie. This unleashes a flurry of questionable behavior that is both funny and disturbing. It’s a little too close to the truth in this internet age. If it doesn’t happen on socials it didn’t happen. And perhaps Daddy staged the whole thing. Great sibling rivalry dynamics from Peta Shannon, Cheryl Douglas and Tom Tassone.

Bottle for a Special Occasion

This play showcases perfectly paced development with a couple of delightful revelations. The surprise flips are delectable yet so relatable. Like some of the other plays it deals with serious issues of grief, with the self-reflection and even blame this brings. And like the other plays the comedy is deftly combined to be elemental to the script. Very capably played by Stuart Pierce and Lyn Wilson.

On Queue

Almost naturally On Queue references Waiting For Godot, with the two characters wondering about the relevance of their situation. While they obviously have different temperaments to drive the drama, they are drawn with much more complexity than it seems possible in such a brief time, the silences being just as important as the dialogue. The absurdity lies in the off chance that something important might just eventuate. After checking the time once again, they conclude that ‘all we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us.’

Choices

Choices is a dark comedic take on the state of the world, giving us options to exit this merry-go-round that seems to be spinning out of control. It looks at the industries that crop up to assuage the growing anxieties that continuous crises produce. All this is offered as a practical business alternative, basing the action in a familiar and believable space.

Road Trip

Potential grey nomads Allen and Mary are heading off on a seven-state road trip. Allen can’t wait to get going but he’s a meticulous type who loves to prepare for every eventuality. Mary’s more a ‘go with the flow kinda gal’ but when the flow includes friends and family getting on board it’s more like overflow and poor old Allen is left out in the cold. Slapstick and laughs with a liberal dose of physical comedy. A very thorough performance from Linsay Dunn as Allen!

When I Fall In Love It will Be …

Florence (Lisa Lanzi) is distraught that she has lost the affection of her demented husband. Ed (Adrian Barmes) is dealing with the same issue with his wife but seems to have made peace with the situation. Together Florence and Ed discuss their predicament, their past, and possible future scenarios. It’s tender and heartfelt and sadly so relevant to contemporary society. Lovely to see these two souls reach a common understanding. Adrian Barnes is exceptional: his empathy is laced with authenticity. Really quite moving.

Mrs Thrale Lays On…Tea!

We mentioned that all tastes are catered for!  This is a wonderfully crafted piece, deceptively simple yet challenging for both audience and actors alike. When the line between polite propriety and overt eroticism is gradually approached and then crossed, it opens up a plethora of possibilities. But the demands of society, as well as the limit of ten minutes allocated for this encounter, mean that we are privy to what is perhaps routine, just a microcosm of what goes on all the time. Great work from both Sharon Malujlo and Michael Eustice.

A Promenade of Shorts is a fine feast of performances revealing the truth about life as it is for us here and now. The acting is consistently solid and superb, the rapport in each ensemble is obviously strong and most of all fun. All praise to the marvellous team at Red Phoenix Theatre Company for bringing together an evening full of many memorable moments.

Presented by Red Phoenix Theatre Company

5 stars

David Cronin and Michael Coghlan

‘A Promenade of Shorts’ continues at Goodwood Theatre and Studios at various times  until Sat 24 Jan, 2026. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.

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