Gaslighting Arts Theatre Cronulla

Photographer: Jeff Gall.

The final play at Arts Theatre Cronulla for 2025 is a classic Victorian thriller. Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight was written in 1938 but is set in the later part of the 19th century. The play, and the films based on it, inspired the term ‘gaslighting’, widely in use today. Employed by a perpetrator as a tactic to distort reality to maintain control, the term describes emotional abuse that causes the victim to question their sanity. 

The action in Gaslight takes place in the home of Jack and Bella Manningham over an afternoon and evening in fog-bound London. Bella is being psychologically tormented by her husband, Jack, into believing she is going insane. She is being convinced that she suffers from the early stages of insanity, a disease from which her mother died. Jack has isolated Bella from her family, and contrives mind games that cause her to question her sanity, with the threat of being sent to an asylum hanging over her.

Photographer: Graham West

Jack is doing this for a nefarious reason, which is revealed when late in the evening a stranger comes to the house while Jack is out. He introduces himself as ex-Detective Rough and advises that he has come to help Bella. What secrets does he know? Rough explains that the apartment above was once occupied by Alice Barlow, a wealthy woman who was murdered for her jewels. The murderer was never found, but Rough convinces Bella to assist him in exposing Jack as the murderer. 

Ultimately, Gaslight is a wonderfully entertaining and satisfying revenge fantasy, full of suspense, fun, fear, humour and surprise. It has a little bit of comedy for some relief, but this Victorian thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat as you discover the mysteries of the Manningham home. As an audience member in Perth recently wrote “I want to complain! I had to pay for the whole seat, but I only used the front six inches."

Photographer: Graham West

The play runs till 29 November, with shows on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, with four Sunday matinees.

Tickets are $33/$30 and can be booked online via the theatre’s website: 

https://www.artstheatrecronulla.com.au/