Sunday Arts Magazine

14 Mar 2022

Darkening Sky

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A contemporary neo-noir thriller spanning seven decades and set in the inner suburbs of Melbourne, this March
Theatre Works and the Victorian Theatre Company proudly present The Darkening Sky – the latest premiere
work from renowned playwright Richard Murphet.
Bringing together some of our finest local artists and arts makers, The Darkening Sky interweaves lives from the
past and present in a desperate bid to solve the unexplained disappearance of two women.
In the warm and familiar surrounds of his local bar Jamie (Brian Lipson) has managed to build a life of peace and
solitude for decades. Now thrust unwillingly into reconstructing troubled memories, his belief in the calm surface
of his childhood crumbles – surrounded by elements from a past he didn’t even know existed. At the same time a
detective (Tom Dent) is handed a Cold Case involving the disappearance of a young woman in the 1980s. Chasing
answers to this mystery unearths a web of political intrigue, violence, and sacrifice.
Featuring live pianist Adrian Montana accompanying the action with original compositions, The Darkening Sky

also employs multi-media to heighten the experience for audiences, taking them along on the winding and sur-
prising journey through the streets of St Kilda and inner city Melbourne.

“I have always been a fan of film noir: its stark black and while imagery, desperate characters, hidden world of
underworld operatives and its tone of melancholy and loss.”, explains Writer/Director Richard Murphet. “We’re
working to create a three dimensional sensory experience for audiences with The Darkening Sky, and bring them
into that world. I think audiences will really engage with piecing together the parts of the jigsaw at the same time
as the central character.”
Examining a hidden fictional history of Melbourne while featuring well known locations around St. Kilda and other

inner suburbs, The Darkening Sky is an electrifying and all engrossing new Australian work. 90 minutes of non-
stop action, not to be missed.

Written and Directed by Richard Murphet