The show is a retelling of a notorious part of Sydney’s criminal history, that of the so called Razor Gangs, in 1927-1929. The characters involve Tilly Divine (played by Alexandra Smith), a name that still resonates in urban folklore and serves as a useful tag in a contemporary theatre piece. The gang and Tilly both thrived, in armed conflict and brothel ownership, through loopholes in the law that intended to regulate guns and brothels. Guns did not exclude razors, and only men were excluded from running brothels. The historical narrative has little moral or redemptive aspects or characters, with the exception of the employment of the first female (Lillian Armfield played by Donna Randall) into the NSW police force.
The show promises an in situ staging of events, with the crypt of St James Church Sydney used as settings for happenings that first occurred in and around Darlinghurst. The narrator and producer are both involved in tours around Darlinghurst presumably bringing the stories such as this to life – in view of this it is fair to ask if the play could have been staged in laneway(s) and interior(s) of Darlinghurst. The first two scenes – outside against the old brick wall of the church, and the closed door first section of the crypt, work very well to achieve what situated theatre can achieve – the frisson of actors in an informal setting, when the audience gladly suspends belief to achieve a paradox of time and space, when the past or another place becomes very immediate.
Several outstanding performances take place in the first 15 minutes. Kate Leigh, the Queen of illicit trade in drugs and liquor, is played with gravitas by Deirdre Campbell; Wendi Lanham plays the suave, ravished and ravishing prostitute Nellie Cameron; Leofric Kingsford Smith plays Inspector-General Mitchell with great aplomb and precision; Kyla Ward is the convincingly gnarled but inviting host, and Shaun Foley typifies vigorous, clear work by several of the male gang members and pimps.
A special mention should be made of Andrea Tan for the high quality of 1920’s costumes in this production – they were a pleasure to see.
The long interior corridor of the crypt and the small side vaults, with their mini balustrade arches, are different from Surry Hills laneways. They are small, and tight for production purposes. A certain allure is achieved with lighting added to existing house lights, adding shadows and picking up lots of peremptory action, conflict, arrests and accusations. The writing tells its story efficiently and directly – there is only limited revelation of character or motivation, and the dialogue lacks the innuendo, slang and indirect nuance that could really add bite to these windows into a criminal world.
The impact of this work in part depends on the interest in its history that audience members bring to it. The narration satisfies this docu-drama expectation, and also provide much, perhaps too much, coherence to disjointed scenes.
My main reservation about this production is its ticket price. I am not sure why this funded show required such pricing, but it seems too high for a popular audience for what looks like a solid fringe show. Is it reasonable to mount a show that requires such ticketing for viability?
The show joins a long tradition and sub-genre of off-stage in situ theatre production. One can remember grand efforts at the Adelaide Festival occupying whole unused buildings within the Square Mile such as it was then, while Living Room Theatre has staged some sophisticated pieces in an unused factory, utility spaces and even a wharf, in Sydney in recent years. The grand days of such enterprises seemjjh to have faded, so it is good that Razor Gang Wars at least helps keep that flame alive.
RAZOR GANG WARS was written and directed by Liviu Monsted
Produced by Actors Anonymous and Blancmange Productions
Crypt of St James Church, 3/9/22
Review by Geoffrey Sykes