REVIEWED BY KIT WILLS
EDITED BY CHARLOTTE FRASER
Starting their year off with a bang is RMIT Redacts’ Present Laughter a 1939 comedy by Noël Coward that feels incredibly modern despite its pre-World War II setting.
Sitting in the Kaleide Theatre waiting for the show to begin, I could feel the buzz of excited audience members ready for opening night. Immediately setting the tone was Charlotte Fels’ aristocratic English accent over the speakers, urging everyone to please turn off their mobile phones – the audience was laughing even before anyone stepped out on stage and continued their laughter right until the curtain fell.
The play centres around Garry Essendine (Ruby Grinter), the eccentric, ageing (pushing forty!), prima dona actor and his entourage of household staff and friends who all work in his firm. Never leaving Mr Essendine’s art deco living room (designed by Seungyeon Jung), the play focuses its larger-than-life drama within the confines of Garry’s London home, as poor decision after poor decision pushes him further into his self-created chaos.
I admit, I had no idea what to expect from Present Laughter, my only assumption was that it was probably funny. What I discovered was ‘funny’ would be an understatement. Driven by the exceptional talent, timing and teamwork of the cast and crew, the comedy of Present Laughter shone through perfectly.
The play opens with a giddy young woman in men’s pyjamas sitting on an extravagant chaise lounge. The audience quickly learn that this young woman, Daphne Stillington (Annabelle Edwards), has stayed the night in Mr Essendine’s spare room, a task she is elated to have achieved. Edwards’ expertly captures the naïve excitability of Daphne, as Mr Essendine’s house staff interact with her in a peculiar manner—almost as if this was a regular occurrence. Monica (Madeleine Cheyne), Mr Essendine’s efficient, organised housekeeper lets the audience know from first meeting that she is the one who really runs the ship. Responding to his letters, facilitating meetings and answering calls, Monica is the face behind Garry’s success. Miss Erikson (Mimi Dickinson) the “Scandinavian spiritualist chef”, a standout member of the household staff whose too-literal approach to every question always brought a laugh. Dickinson’s cadence and timing was perfect at capturing the spacey nature of Miss Erikson’s character. Whenever Miss Erikson was on stage, I always wondered what she was up to before appearing. Last but not least of the team keeping Mr Essendine afloat is Fred the butler (Ali Samaei), whose relaxed, friendly demeanour and strong cockney accent put a smile on everyone’s face whenever he appeared on stage.
At this moment, we had met a woman in love with Mr Essendine and all his household staff but not the man himself. Who was this playboy bachelor going to be and what exactly did we have in store? I must say, when Ruby Grinter stepped onto stage, curly hair flowing, full of such wonderful cheeky energy, I was pleasantly surprised. Grinter was able to capture the youthful, eccentric personality of Garry Essendine in a refreshingly new way. Of particular note was her use of physical comedy in her acting, almost as if Garry himself was performing in his own play. Conceited and extravagant as he is, Grinter approached the role with a real lightness, elevating the farcical situations Garry got himself caught right in the centre of.
Ready to escape his devoted fans, nagging friends and estranged wife Liz (Meron Samson), Garry is sailing off on tour to Africa, a fact he is more than happy to tell anyone who will possibly listen. One of these people is a young and eager playwright Mr Maule (Bohdi Keech), who challenges Garry’s ideology and personality when it comes to the theatre. Keech played the role of devoted fan with an almost frenetic excitability – jumping up and down, running around the room and, at one point, even launching himself onto Garry’s back.
This leads to what I believe was the standout of the show: the cast, led by the direction of Holly Douglas committed to excess without losing control or the point of the play. Grinter leaned into the melodramatic acting whilst still feeling exceptionally present and real, Keech imbued Mr Maule with queer subtext that helped capture a wider range of desire on stage and the ensemble of characters all brought their own eccentricities to the forefront without getting lost in the crowd. The production felt precise and organised despite the chaos, and each individual performance was energetically and physically heightened but still managed to feel intentional.
By the end of Act 1 we are introduced to Hugo’s (Ali Samaei) salacious wife Joanna Lypiatt (Charlotte Fels). In her stunning, spotlighted entrance (with lighting design by Cecilia Liu) and red dress to match, Fels graced the stage with a sensual, charismatic energy that skilfully challenged Garry’s control. Stirring the pot and adding just the right amount of spice, Fels delivered a powerful performance that helped reinforce the cyclical, performative nature of Garry’s life and relationships.
Act 2 begins and it’s as if we have entered Groundhog Day, except this time Garry hasn’t just allowed a young woman to stay who “forgot her latch key”, he has slept with his friends wife. All hell breaks loose in the Essendine living room as doorbells ring, Joanna’s husband Hugo finds out about the affair and Morris (Kailen Missen) is heartbroken to discover that Joanna’s love was merely a ploy to get closer to Garry. With Samaei capturing Hugo’s seriousness and Missen playing into the comedy of the emotionally wrought Morris, they are able to enhance the melodramatic moment by playing perfectly off of one another.
Everything is just too much for Garry, he has pushed everyone away for one more quiet night in, all alone, before sailing off. After a moodily lit party scene with colourful balloons, and slow orchestral tunes to match (Lighting by Edward Wilding, Props by Ren Richards, Sound by Cecilia Liu), Garry says farewell to his devoted household staff and settles in for the night.
The doorbell rings.
It’s Daphne, she’s elated to let Mr Essendine know that she has ran away and she’s accompanying him to Africa.
The doorbell rings. Again.
It’s Roland Maul, he’s packed his bags and is supposedly going with Garry to Africa. A screaming match ensues and Garry pushes Roland into the spare bedroom – suggestively?
And would you believe it: the doorbell rings again.
It’s Joanna, she has booked the bridal suite and is coming too! Until a slap across the cheek gives Garry a taste of his own medicine.
Finally, Liz walks in. The one holding Garry together. Samson’s articulate, powerful performance offers a sense of stability and groundedness in the otherwise chaotic world of the play.
If there was one weakness to Present Laughter, it would be the anticlimactic ending where tension dissipates out of nowhere as Garry and Liz escape the house and leave his microcosm of theatricality, chaos and ringing doorbells. This, however, is no fault of the cast and crew, who handle Coward’s abrupt ending with finesse. The result is a production that is equally loud, camp, meticulously funny and performed with an abundance of infectious energy, successfully bringing new life to this classic play.
Present Laughter was presented by RMIT RedActs at the Kaleide Theatre 16 – 18 April, 2026.
KIT WILLS (she/her) is a third year UniMelb Arts student majoring in English and Theatre studies. Driven by her passion for performance and writing Kit is excited to be a new reviewer for the Dialog.
CHARLOTTE FRASER (she/her) is a writer, performer and student editor based in Melbourne. She holds a BA in English and Theatre Studies and is currently completing her Masters degree at the University of Melbourne. Charlotte is also the 2026 Dialog Editor.
The Dialog is supported by Union House Theatre
The Dialog 