GASLIGHT

STUDY GUIDE
STATE EDUCATE 2020
SYNOPSIS

Bella Manningham is on edge. She’s hearing footsteps in the night,

pictures are moving by themselves and the gaslights in the drawing
room dim without even a touch. Her husband is constantly disappearing.
He tells her she may be mad and she starts to believe him… As her grip
on reality begins to slip, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery most
foul.

A mind-bending Victorian thriller, Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight is the stuff

of legend. Written in 1938 and spawning the 1944 film starring Ingrid
Bergman and Charles Boyer, director Catherine Fitzgerald brings this
classic creep-show storming into 2020 in a production that sees it
become more vital than ever.

For more, watch the trailer for the show online:

statetheatrecompany.com.au/shows/gaslight

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE / 4-19 SEPTEMBER, 2020

RUNNING TIME
Approximately 160 minutes (including 20 minute interval).

SHOW WARNINGS
Contains adult themes and depictions of domestic abuse that may be triggering to
some audience members.

Those affected by the themes in the production can seek support from:
1800 RESPECT National Sexual Violence, Domestic Family Violence
Counselling Service on 1800 737 732 or at 1800respect.com.au
LIFELINE on 13 11 14 or at lifeline.org.au
KIDS HELPLINE on 1800 55 1800
CONTENTS

INTRODUCING THE PLAY

Cast & creative team ................................ 4
A bit of background on Patrick Hamilton ................................ 5
Director’s note from Catherine Fitzgerald ............................. 6-7
An interview with Catherine Fitzgerald ............................. 8-9
What next? ............................... 10

CHARACTERS & CHARACTERISATION

Cast Q&A: interviews .......................... 10-17
Exploring the characters .......................... 18-19
What next? .............................. 20

DESIGN
Design elements: interview ......................... 21-23
Sound design: interview ......................... 24-25
Lighting design: interview ......................... 26-27
What next? .............................. 28

DIGGING DEEPER
Genre & form ......................... 29-30
What next? ............................... 31
Themes & concepts ......................... 32-33
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

Playwright Director Designer Sound Designer

Patrick Hamilton Catherine Fitzgerald Ailsa Paterson Andrew Howard

Lighting Designer Bella Manningham Jack Manningham Sergeant Rough

Nic Mollison Ksenja Logos Nathan O’Keefe Eileen Darley

Elizabeth Nancy Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager

Ellen Freeman Katherine Sortini Abigail Heuer Steph Bone

// Stage Management Secondment: Jennifer King // Accent Coach: Jennifer Innes //

// Répétiteur: Carol Young // Fight Choreographer: Ruth Fallon // Understudy: Martha Lott //
// Production Manager: Gavin Norris // Deputy Production Manager: Gabrielle Hornhardt //
// Head Mechanist: Vince Louch // Head Of Lighting: Rick Worringham //
// Lighting Board Operator: Cameron Lane // Sound Board Operator: Patrick Pages Oliver //

Costumes made by State Theatre Company South Australia Wardrobe. Set made by State Theatre
Company South Australia Workshop.

4
A BIT OF BACKGROUND
ON PATRICK HAMILTON
Born on 17 March 1904, English novelist and playwright Patrick Hamilton first
came to prominence with his 1929 play, Rope. Although he had already tried his
hand at acting and written two novels, Rope was his first real success. The play
had a six-month run in London’s West End and a Broadway production, the
latter under the name Rope’s End.

Hamilton wrote a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels in the 1930s, which

reflected on his dissatisfaction with modern life. While respected, these works
did not garner the author as much attention as Rope or his later play, Gas Light.

Gas Light, often stylised as Gaslight and sometimes called Angel Street, was
written, and first performed on the stage, in 1938. It was turned into a British
film in 1940 and a Hollywood adaptation starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer
and Joseph Cotten was released in 1944. The play, and the films based on it,
inspired the term ‘gaslighting’, and it contains one of the most blatant examples
of the kind of psychological abuse to which this term refers.

Hamilton’s life and work was influenced by his rough childhood with an abusive
father, his excessive drinking, his engagements with sex workers, his Marxist
political beliefs and a car accident in the 1920s that left him disfigured. Although
disdainful of modern life, his works contributed to its culture. Both Rope and
Gaslight were turned into successful films, which made Hamilton wealthy.

Hamilton wrote 13 novels and 10 stage plays between 1925 and 1955. With his
career, health and outlook declining over time, Hamilton continued to drink
excessively. He died of cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure on 23 September
1962 at the age of 58. He was survived by his second wife, Lady Ursula
Chetwynd-Talbot.

PATRICK HAMILTON. PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN.

5
DIRECTOR’S NOTE FROM
CATHERINE FITZGERALD
Gaslight was written in 1938 by Patrick Hamilton, an avowed Marxist, who in
many of his plays and novels displayed a strong sympathy for the poor and
disempowered. The term ‘gaslight’ is derived from the title of the play and has
recently enjoyed a resurgence in the everyday vernacular to describe mistrust in
relation to gender and world politics, in particular men and political leaders.

The play is set in the later part of the 19th century, and while essentially a
melodramatic thriller, the underlying themes and discourses relating to patriarchal
power and class are as relevant today as they were then. I tend to think of our
production as a feminist thriller, a ‘friller’, with gender relationships at its core.

The non-traditional casting of Eileen Darley as Inspector Rough in our production

serves to expose and explore the historical narrative of the play through a
contemporary lens, and it is an acknowledgment that up until recently, it has
been women who have been at the forefront of supporting women who live in
domestic violence situations to escape to safety. The play is a very astute analysis
of psychological and emotional violence, beginning with the isolation of Mrs
Manningham from her family and friends, and the mind games that cause her to
question her own sanity as the threat of being sent to the asylum hangs over her.

In our production we also allow for a bit of a nod and a wink to the male
impersonators who were so popular in music halls in England during the Victorian
and Edwardian eras. The most famous of these was Vesta Tilley, who challenged
the dominant ideology that women were deemed to be beautiful, charismatic
domestic creatures with no or little agency. Vesta Tilley cleverly undermined the
values of the ‘dominant sex’ and upper class ‘dandy’ with satirical lyrics and
gestures. Indeed, in our play, Mr Manningham frequents the local club and music
hall where he also indulges in the pleasure of ‘unemployed actresses’.

CATHERINE FITZGERALD IN REHEARSALS FOR GASLIGHT. PHOTOS: SIA DUFF.

6
This underlying theme of impersonation, or pretending to be someone you are
not, with references cleverly laced throughout the writing, serves to remind us that
theatre itself is artifice.

Ultimately, Gaslight is a wonderfully entertaining and satisfying revenge fantasy, full

of suspense, fun, fear, humour and surprise. Set in one room over one afternoon
and late evening, Gaslight offers wonderful opportunities for shadowy and eerie
lighting as well as for a theatrically edgy soundscape. It is beautifully written, full of
exposition, and yet exquisite storytelling at its very best.

It has been deeply exciting to be back in the rehearsal room once again with a
brilliant cast and artistic team, especially during these crazy times, and I thank
Mitchell Butel and State Theatre Company South Australia for the opportunity.
We are also really honoured to be the first mainstage production to open the
new Her Majesty’s Theatre, which in the early 1900s was home to the famous
Tivoli Theatre that housed music hall entertainment. We’ve had to make a few
adjustments to adapt our production to what is essentially a theatre designed for
big music shows, as have you with the chequerboard seating arrangements. The
good thing is that we are all out and about and back in the theatre.

We love the synergy of being here and hope you do too. Enjoy.

THIS DIRECTOR’S NOTE WAS WRITTEN BY CATHERINE FITZGERALD FOR INCLUSION IN THE SHOW
PROGRAM FOR GASLIGHT.

7
AN INTERVIEW WITH
CATHERINE FITZGERALD
Why is Gaslight relevant in 2020?
Gaslight was written in 1938, and set in the later part of the 19th century; however,
its disturbing underlying themes and discourses are as relevant today as they
were then. The play is essentially a melodramatic thriller, and I tend to think of
our production as a feminist thriller (a ‘friller’), with domestic violence, patriarchal
power, and class and gender relationships at its core. Ultimately though Gaslight
is a wonderful satisfying revenge fantasy and I am hoping that together we will
create a truly enjoyable production full of suspense, fear, humour and surprise.

What will your reimagining of Gaslight look like?

All plays are reimagined with every new production because each production is
brought to you by a completely new artistic team and occurs within a different
time in history.

The non-traditional casting of Eileen [Darley] as Rough, the detective, will serve
to expose and explore the historical narrative, discourse and gender politic of the
play within a contemporary lens.

It also allows for a nod, a wink and homage to the music hall male impersonators
who were so popular during Victorian and Edwardian England - where the
dominant ideology deemed women beautiful, charismatic domestic creatures
with no or little agency. The most famous male impersonator was Vesta Tilley
who assumed the values of the ‘dominant sex’ and upper class ‘dandy’ and
cleverly undermined them with satirical lyrics and gesture. Indeed, in the play, Mr.
Manningham frequents the local club and music hall where he also indulges in the
pleasure of ‘unemployed actresses’.

Our production will pretty much honour narrative and discourse of the original with
a homage to theatre itself and theatrical traditions with a cheeky acknowledgment
that women actors and women’s stories have pretty much taken second place in
the mainstage and theatrical space.

8
Domestic violence is still a major and serious issue in contemporary Australia, so
whilst the play is full of scary, thriller charm we will not go soft on the discourse
and narrative of the oppression of Mrs Manningham as well as the class
politics (and oppression) of the maids depicted in the play. Mr Manningham is
manipulative and a perpetrator of psychological domestic abuse. He gaslights his
wife to the point where she questions her own sanity and threatens her with being
sent to the asylum.

How have you prepared for Gaslight?

I’ve read the play heaps and heaps of times. I’ve researched the history of
detectives and their roles in England, I’ve researched Edwardian and Victorian
England, music hall male impersonators including Vesta Tilley, Hetty King, sat
down with Ailsa and looked at pictorial references. I’ve watched both films. I’ve
researched murders and crime in England and read about Patrick Hamilton.
I’ve been researching and planning for this for such a long time now I’ve almost
forgotten all the research I’ve done.

As a director, how do you build suspense and keep the audience on the edge?
I think in most plays action and suspense come from the characters inner
struggles - look at Hamlet, for example. Gaslight, however, is a thriller and the use
of music, soundscape and lights will be crucial in helping create the suspense,
which in turn will be helped by Ailsa’s claustrophobic set. I have no doubt the
actors will be able to build the suspense in what will be a very delicate balance
between melodrama and a thriller.

CATHERINE FITZGERALD IN REHEARSALS FOR GASLIGHT. PHOTOS: SIA DUFF.

9
CATHERINE FITZGERALD WITH ELLEN FREEMAN AND NATHAN O’KEEFE DURING REHEARSALS.
PHOTO: SIA DUFF.

What next?
Our “What next?” sections include questions and activities based on previous
pages. These can be used for individual reflection or as class exercises.
Do you feel this production was suspenseful?
If so, what elements worked to create this sense of suspense? What scenes or
moments felt most suspenseful?
If not, what do you think could have made the production more suspenseful?
Choose a moment or scene in the play to analyse how your suggestions would
have helped to build suspense.
Whether or not you agree that the production creates a feeling of suspense,
ensure you consider direction, design, script and acting, and how these elements
interact or work together, in your response and analysis.
Write down your thoughts and responses and/or discuss in pairs or as a group.

Supporting materials
Articles and interviews with Catherine Fitzgerald
Links under the Gaslight drop-down menu at:
statetheatrecompany.com.au/state-educate-resources

10
CAST Q&A
with Ksenja Logos
(Bella Manningham)

What do you see as the main themes in Gaslight?

It’s interesting because the term ‘gaslight’ comes from this play, originally, and it
is a term that’s associated with psychological abuse. We see the origins of it in
Mrs Manningham, who knows she’s being manipulated because she’s watching
the light go up and down. I guess that’s the major theme, this idea of emotional
manipulation - not just by Mr Manningham, but by everyone. Everyone has got
their own agenda and they’re putting it upon her. Mr Manningham just does it in
the most obviously manipulative and destructive way. There’s also the theme of
gender politics, which will be evident in the production, and ideas about class.

Coming off the back of COVID-19 and lockdown, the theme of isolation is also
quite interesting. As the drama is happening in one room and people are being
acted upon, I think people will be able to relate to that, coming out of that space.

What do you want the experience of Gaslight to be for an audience?

The experience we’re hoping to give audiences is to touch base with the
great, well-written older play and we are presenting it within that melodramatic
experience. I think it’s something that could sit quite easily within a modern
presentation, but we are bringing the ‘melodrama’ back. I think that will be
interesting for audiences. It’s certainly interesting as an actor, it’s not something
I’ve done before. There’s a lot of gesture, heightened emotion and expression.

Ultimately, the play is a thriller and we are hoping to give people that experience
and tension - the wondering, the working out, and the best part of all murder
mysteries: ‘where are the jewels hidden?’ It should be a great piece of
entertainment and escapism, that’s what we are hoping to give the audience.

PHOTO: SIA DUFF.

11
CAST Q&A
with Nathan O’Keefe
(Jack Manningham)

Who is your character? How do you bring this character to life?

I play Mr Manningham, the husband of Mrs Manningham, the master of the house
and he’s also… without giving too much away, he’s essentially the villain of the
show. I don’t think we are giving anything away, these days we all know the term
‘gaslight’ or have at least heard of it and where it comes from, so it’s no spoiler to
say he is a bit of a villain in the play.

The important thing when you are playing the villain, especially in a well-known
play, is you can’t play him straight away as a baddie, because otherwise you’re
just doing one layer of the character. With this character, what I’ve tried to explore
are the reasons he behaves the way he does and where he thinks he is doing
the right thing. It’s one thing to come out and be like, ‘I’m the baddie so I’m going
to indicate that for the audience’, you can do that, but then you’re making all the
decisions for the audience. What I want to do is justify, for him, what he’s doing
and why he’s doing it so it makes sense. Then it’s up to the audience - they have
to work, they have to be the ones that can judge him. It’s not for me to judge him.
They decide if he’s the villain or not. My approach to characterisation is to justify all
of the character’s actions for their own gains.

What do you think are the main themes of the show?

I think the main theme I have noticed in this play is the theme of control - control of
yourself, of your own emotions, and control of others.

This play is set in the Victorian era, the late 1800s where there was quite a defined
class system within the house. Mr Manningham, my character, is the master of
the house, which means he is the decision maker - the boss, if you will - of the
household. Generally, things have changed these days, but he certainly is the

PHOTOS: SIA DUFF.

12
power in the house and exerts a lot of power over others. The play looks at what
happens when you start to lose that power, when things are no longer under
your control, when you aren’t making all of the decisions. How does that manifest
itself? This happens for each and every one of the characters. At one point they’ve
got control, some more often than others, then at some point they will lose
control. Certainly, Mrs Manningham is being led to believe she has less control
than she does. So it really is a balance of power, a balance of control. I would say
that reclamation of that control of self is, I think, the key theme of this play.

We hope our version conveys this, but is also an entertaining and escapist
experience for the audience.

How are you feeling about returning to the theatre?

This event is far more special than most shows just in terms of the circumstances,
I think. Not only are we lucky enough to be performing Gaslight in the fully
refurbished Her Majesty’s Theatre, which is just mind-blowing alone, but it’s the
first show back since this pandemic of COVID-19, this kind of world-shifting event.

Through this time it’s been challenging, but also easy to forget that we have things
like theatre and we have things like art and culture that pick us up as a society and
move us forward. We still have the human spirit and we are going to continue that
tradition. This is not going to beat theatre, art as a whole, society as a whole - I
think that encapsulates what we are doing. We are defiantly stepping forward and
saying we as people, we are going to survive this. And how are we going to do
that, but by continuing to share stories together.

13
CAST Q&A
with Eileen Darley
(Sergeant Rough)

What do you see as the main themes of Gaslight?

I think what’s really interesting was that Patrick Hamilton wrote the play in 1938.
Now, imagine what was happening in the world at that time. We were bang
smack in the middle of the Second World War; all through the 1930s we had The
Depression. So there are lots of themes in the play about the world outside being,
as my character says, “full of pain”. There are people who are struggling and it’s a
society that’s not running harmoniously, so there are some resonances of where
we’re at, at the moment in the world, in Australia.

I also think through that time there was an explosion of Freudian understandings
of the world, and I think the play has got a lot of Freudian symbolism in it. It has all
kinds of themes about things being locked down.

Hamilton wrote it in 1938, but set it in 1880. I think he did that because gaslights
didn’t exist in 1938 - we had electricity by that stage - and he really wanted this
image of the light being a character in itself. The light kind of shifts its meaning,
but it’s often a kind of representation of Mrs Manningham’s unconscious. It relates
to her burgeoning realisation that life as she plays it on the outside is not actually
what it seems, and that there’s a whole other world. There are a lot of themes
about opening up, opening drawers, opening jewels.

In his own way I think Hamilton was really trying to critique the society in which he
wrote the play.

But as well as that, of course, it’s an absolute classic, rip-roaring potboiler of a

thriller, or as director Catherine Fitzgerald would say, a ‘friller’ (feminist thriller),
because it couldn’t really be left in its current form. There are certain things people
just wouldn’t accept, particular the changing role of women.

PHOTOS: SIA DUFF.

14
Who is your character? How do you bring a character to life?
My character is Detective/Sergeant Rough, clearly the elder man in the piece. So I
am doing a bit of cross-gender characterisation. How did I come by him? First of
all, I think, primarily, Rough is a bit of an outsider. He was a bit of an unorthodox
policeman to begin with, and obviously he’s also an outsider because I am a
woman playing a man. On top of that, he’s Irish in a very Victorian world of the
English stiff upper lip, so he proved a kind of counteraction to this Victorian world
where there are very clear social mores and social roles of men and women at
play.

How I come by any character is really through embodiment, so when you are
speaking your lines they are really coming from your feet and pelvis and chest
and shoulders and head. It’s not a matter of just using the cognitive part of your
brain but all of you, and that’s how I would approach any character. This one
in particular, being masculine, I had to kind of break down and unpack what
are some of the generalisations of men’s movements compared to women’s
movement. On top of that there’s consideration of the Victorian age, so thinking
about a wider base of support, less lateral movement of the hips and so forth.

“You never heard of the celebrated Sergeant Rough, madam?

Sergeant Rough, who solved the Claudesley Diamond Case
– Sergeant Rough, who hunted down the Camberwell Dogs –
Sergeant Rough, who brought Sandham himself to justice...?”

- Sergeant Rough

15
SPEAKING WITH
Ellen Freeman (Elizabeth)
& Katherine Sortini (Nancy)

On the themes and form of the play

Ellen Freeman: Because it’s a psychological thriller, and there are elements of
farce, very small elements of farce, it doesn’t matter what happens in the storyline.
Comedy is a serious business, you know, and in this play some of the comedy is
just a relief for the audience. The themes are really determined by the fact that it’s
a thriller and we totally depend on the director to determine pace and levels. The
thing is not to give anything away.

Katherine Sortini: I hope it’s really just an exciting night. Like Ellen said, it’s got a
little bit of comedy for some relief, but it really is a tension-filled play, and for me,
that’s really exciting. I think people will be on the edge of their seat, I think people
are going to be clinging to their chairs, and, for me, that’s great entertainment.

Ellen: I agree, we just hope that we can take people on a journey that is exciting,
it’s also education in a way, particularly for young people to recognise the changes
that have taken place in society over 100 years.

On character
Katherine: I play Nancy, a 19-year-old cheeky maid. When I first started speaking
to Catherine [Fitzgerald], she had a vision for my character, so there has been
a lot of work on her voice and accent, and on her physicality, which is very light
and free. It’s good to go back to the script and see what others say about your
character, what the character says about themselves, and try to figure out what
the truth is and what impression your character gives to others.

Ellen: My function in this play, as Elizabeth, is to assist an ex-detective to solve a

cold case. That’s my function, to assist him. It doesn’t mean to say I know what’s
going on, it just means I know that when I am confronted by this ex-detective
about this cold case for murder and burglary that I have agreed with him to make
this house accessible for him. That is my function.

16
On the relevance of Gaslight to modern audiences
Katherine: Obviously, there is gaslighting in the play, which means we are looking
at a relationship that has a lot of emotional and psychological abuse. I think that is
relevant now, particularly because there’s this form of gaslighting in the digital age
of, for example, texting and not really knowing who’s on the other side… It’s also
[easy for abusers] to take control of who you are contacting, to go through your
phone. It’s easy for that person to potentially track and control what you’re doing,
it happens a lot in modern day which is why this play is so relevant now.

In the play we see this kind of behaviour in a microcosm with the play happening
over one evening. It’s this couple in Victorian England, so not the same location
we are in now, but the close analysis of this relationship allows us to see how long
this sort of behaviour has been going on and the effects of it. The director calls this
play a ‘friller’, a feminist thriller. I think casting a female actor as Rough is feminist
in the way that all these females are coming together - not so much my character,
but the others - to help this women to break the chains of an emotionally abusive
relationship.

Ellen: I agree, the whole thing about this play is it has such contemporary
relevance. Also, the changing and the shift in power of where women are in
society is so blatantly obvious, but in actual fact it’s a big reminder of ‘my God,
women were just so disempowered 100 years ago’. All of that is in there, which is
an interesting aspect of the play, absolutely.

All cast Q&As, including these responses from Ellen Freeman and Katherine
Sortini, are based on video interviews and have been edited for length and clarity.
Video interviews are available under the Gaslight drop-down menu online at
statetheatrecompany.com.au/education-resources.

ELLEN FREEMAN (LEFT) AND KATHERINE SORTINI (ABOVE) DURING GASLIGHT REHEARSALS.
PHOTOS: JESSICA ZENG.

17
EXPLORING THE
CHARACTERS
BELLA MANNINGHAM
Bella Manningham is described in the script as being about 34 years old. It says
“she has been good looking, almost a beauty – but now she has a haggard,
wan, frightened air, with rings under her eyes, which tell of sleepless nights and
worse.”

Bella at first seems like a flustered, confused sort of person, but we come to
understand that this is not necessarily her nature but the effect of prolonged
psychological abuse by her husband, Jack Manningham. His words and actions
have made her doubt her ideas, conclusions and even her sanity. She is not
sure if it is her own mind she is unable to trust, or the actions of her husband
or another person in the house. She is often left alone in the house and has
become estranged from her family, who disapproved of her marriage to Jack.
She seems to be a ‘damsel in distress’.

JACK MANNINGHAM
Jack Manningham is described in the script as a “tall, good-looking” 45-year-
old man. He is condescending and manipulative, often insulting his wife in sly
ways and undermining her at every opportunity.

He appears to be motivated by his desire to keep his true intentions and night-
time actions hidden from Bella. However, he also appears to take pleasure from
manipulating and threatening his wife. Jack is the clear villain of the piece.

“I begin to believe I imagine everything. Perhaps I do. Are you

here? Is this a dream, too? Who are you?”
- Bella Manningham

18
SERGEANT ROUGH
Sergeant Rough, also known as Detective or Inspector Rough or simply
‘Rough’, is a retired police detective with an apparently illustrious career
- although his accounts of his own deeds are never verified by any other
character in the show. He seems to be motivated by his desire to stop a
suspected murderer from stealing jewels. Why he wants to do this is less
apparent. His actions interrupt the trajectory of the Manninghams lives by
intervening in Jack’s mission and bringing new information to light. His actions
help to save Bella from the probability of being sent to an asylum for her
‘madness’, making him a heroic figure in some ways.

ELIZABETH
The Manninghams’ cook and housekeeper, Elizabeth is one of the few
residents of the house who appears to care for Bella’s wellbeing. Not much
is said about Elizabeth’s character in the script, but she appears to see much
of what happens in the house and is the one who provides entry and aid to
Sergeant Rough. She seems sensible and practical. In this production, she
often offers moments of comic relief.

NANCY
Nancy, the Manninghams’ maid, is described in the script as a “self-conscious,
pretty, cheeky girl of nineteen”. Nancy is often impudent and is often
disrespectful of Bella. Her enjoyment of going out at night and spending time
with young men is observed by other members of the household, something
that was worth remarking upon at the time as it may have been a sign of
‘immoral’ behaviour. Bella and Nancy make their dislike of one another obvious
at different moments throughout the play.

LEFT: KSENJA LOGOS AS BELLA MANNINGHAM. PHOTO: JESSICA ZENG.

ABOVE: DIRECTOR CATHERINE FITZGERALD (SECOND FROM RIGHT) AND THE
CAST OF GASLIGHT. PHOTO: SIA DUFF.

19
THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM GOING THROUGH THE SCRIPT DURING REHEARSALS.
PHOTO: JESSICA ZENG.

What next?
Pick a character from Gaslight. What are the key differences between the chosen
character and the other characters in the story? List any important physical
features, their emotions and their key motivations or desires. Come up with ideas
about their speech, posture, mannerisms and gestures. Why do you think these
work for the character? For example, if you think the character should speak in a
low or quiet voice, what does that mean? Are they timid and unsure? Or trying to
keep their temper or other emotions under control?
Many of the characters in the play have hidden motivations or things they are
keeping secret. Write a letter from your character to someone they trust – this
may be another character in the play, but is more likely someone you’ll have to
imagine. Have them reveal something about themselves that they never say aloud
in the play itself.
Perform the letter as a monologue. Remember to keep the list of their physical
characteristics, emotions and other mannerisms in mind in your performance.

Supporting materials
Video interviews with the cast on a variety of topics:
statetheatrecompany.com.au/state-educate-resources

20
DESIGN ELEMENTS
AN INTERVIEW WITH AILSA PATERSON,
SET & COSTUME DESIGNER

Could you describe the feel you’re trying to create with the set
design for Gaslight?
When Catherine [Fitzgerald] and I started talking about the feel we wanted
to create with the set design for Gaslight, we were really struck by this stage
direction that read, “an air is breathed of wretchedness, poverty and age”. So
we’re trying to create a very realistic, naturalistic, highly detailed set.

The show is set in an 1880s, Victorian era drawing room. Initially you think it’s
this perfect snapshot of this domestic scene, but we want to gradually give the
sense that these things are not actually perfect - the rugs are very faded, the
wallpaper is peeling, there’s mould and mildew, and this overwhelming sense of
claustrophobia due to how cluttered and contained all of the set elements are.

We sort of break away from that highly detailed naturalism in that we have really
floated this room in a void and is in fact elevated off the stage with blackness all
around. It also has a kind of architrave frame that gives the sense that the room
and play are almost like a case study of this couple and the situation they’re in.

We found it quite interesting that, as a topical link, instances of domestic

violence increased during lockdown for COVID-19, and we’re looking at this
couple who are very much contained in their one environment. and as an
example of toxic masculinity. This really resonated for us.

AILSA PATERSON WORKING ON A COSTUME FOR GASLIGHT IN STATE THEATRE

COMPANY SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S WARDROBE DEPARTMENT. PHOTO: JESSICA ZENG.

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What kinds of techniques or processes did you use to create the set design
for this production?
The design process for this show really started with a lot of period research.
It was really important for us to have a look at many, many references of the
architecture of the time, details of this type of room from the time, and in
this particular location as well. The play is set in 1880s London and the stage
directions actually provide a very careful description of the type of house it’s set
in. With those specific directions, we had a really great opportunity to do very
particular research as to what that would have looked like at the time.

We then had to transfer that idea in order for it to provide the sense of
claustrophobia and confinement we wanted. We looked at different ways we
could sort of skew the naturalism called for in the script to put our own stamp
on the piece. That kind of thinking led us to start looking at these isolated
rooms floating in voids and lifting the set.

We wanted the space to be activated by the players from the beginning,

particularly by this really interesting character played by Eileen Darley. Eileen
initially plays a sort of Vaudevillian theatre concert hall singer, then she becomes
one of us, an audience member of today, and reveals her own hair beneath
the wig worn by Vesta Tilley. In a way, we are breaking down that fourth wall,
literally stepping through it, with Eileen describing the scene as if reading the
stage directions. She steps into this space and literally activates it.

What is the costume design like for the show?

The costume design for Gaslight is also a very naturalistic design. The key focus
for us was getting a nice balance between the very detailed, overwhelming
pattern and print of the set and a much more muted, realistic tonal palette for

22
the costumes. There’s a use of a lot of block colour and a lot of darker, sort of
depressing, muted tones so that the characters look absolutely real and not too
perfect. We’ve drawn on a lot of the stock that State Theatre Company South
Australia has from this period, so that we are able to use garments that already
have a sense of age and wear. This worn feeling is really important in terms of
establishing that these people are trying to appear to look like they belong to a
certain class, but in fact they are suffering and there is poverty. The Manninghams
are sort of pretending they are at a certain class and economic level, but the
reality is it would be the same outfits they’ve had for many, many years.

The design is very true to period - the late 1880s - which is towards the end
of the Bustle period. You’ll see in the female garments there’s a column-like
structure in the silhouette from the front. The bustle is very pronounced, but it’s
all at the back, not to the side or spreading at all. It’s been interesting to carefully
observe the underpinnings women of this time wore and we’ve got all of those
layers underneath - corsets, the bustle petticoats, and the bustle itself. These are
essential to get an authentic shape with the overgarments.

We have a lovely contrast between what Mrs Manningham wears and then the
serving class and the garments they wore, again they’re in muted tones but we
didn’t want to dress the servants only in black because they’ll disappear into the
set a bit, so we’ve gone for tones of grey and textured wools and fabrics that
have that feel of wear.

LEFT: A SET MODEL FOR GASLIGHT CREATED BY AILSA PATERSON. PHOTO: SIA DUFF.
ABOVE: COSTUME DESIGN DRAWINGS BY AILSA PATERSON. PHOTO: JESSICA ZENG.

23
SOUND DESIGN
AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW HOWARD,
COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER

How would you describe the sound design and composition for Gaslight?
The sound design for Gaslight is very minimal as the whole show occurs in one
single location. The music for Gaslight is dark brooding and has been written
to add tension to the trauma that the character of Mrs Manningham suffers
through the piece. I started every piece of music as a solo piano piece then
added layers to each of the piano pieces to build the sound palate of the show.
This palate is quite minimal and is mostly made up from piano, acoustic guitar
and synth.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Ludwig Goransson’s work - Black Panther,

The Mandalorian, Community - particularly The Mandalorian as it has a very
minimalist aesthetic for the bulk of the work. I also always call inspiration
from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s film work as they also have a minimalist
aesthetic. Scores don’t have to be complex to convey feeling and meaning.
The biggest part of composing a score is being consistent in palate and style.

What processes or techniques do you use to create the sound design and
to compose for a play?
In the first instance, I demo some tracks for the director until I find a vibe that
they are happy with. After that, I spend a few weeks in the studio writing and
recording to try and have most if not all of the music ready to be slotted into the
show from week one of rehearsals.

The rest of the artistic design comes after I have finished the technical design
and have spent time with the script in the rehearsal room so I can start building
a world in which the actors can inhabit.

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What is the role of a sound designer? How does this differ from the role of
a composer?
The role of a sound designer is twofold. These two parts are the technical
design and the artistic design.

The technical design consists of choosing of all the speakers, microphones

and all other equipment that will be used for a production. This includes doing
technical drawings for where the speakers are in the theatre, measuring all
cabling lengths, supplying the weight of any equipment that is flown, and all
other speaker information data, such as where the speakers are pointing and
their time relationship to other speakers within the system.

The artistic design is sourcing or creating sound effects, atmospheres, pads

and drones that will be part of the aural environment, along with any music
that is composed by a composer or licensed from a pre-existing source. The
designer is responsible for the entire aural environment for a show.

The composer writes and records the music for a show and sometimes also
creates the pads and drones as well.

How did you get into sound design and composition?

I got into sound design at university when I started a theatre company with a
bunch of friends that were studying at the Flinders University Drama Centre. I
was both composing and designing all of the shows we were doing and worked
my way up over the years to my current position as Resident Sound Designer
at State Theatre. I also worked as a sound engineer at the Adelaide Festival
Centre for 12 years, which was incredibly helpful for the technical design aspect
of being a sound designer.

With composing, I started playing music at a young age and played in bands.
But I decided early on that I wanted to keep my hearing so I moved away from
playing in rock bands and concentrated more on being part of a storytelling
community.

Diegetic & non-diegetic sound

Gaslight features both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is noise
whose source is found on the stage or in the action of the play. Diegetic sound
effects used in the play are evident in things like the servant’s bell and sound of
the front door.

Non-diegetic sound is added in and is not drawn from the action on stage -
this is the case for the atmospheric music sound used throughout Gaslight,
particularly during tense moments.

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LIGHTING DESIGN
AN INTERVIEW WITH NIC MOLLISON,
LIGHTING DESIGNER

What is the role of a lighting designer?

The role of the lighting designer is to light the actors on stage so they can be
seen by the audience - that’s the most important job I’ve got. If the audience
can’t see the actors, I haven’t done my job, so that’s the most important thing.

From there, I get to help the story be delivered by using the light to draw
the attention to different parts of the stage for the audience. Lighting also
reinforces any natural references that are in the script, such as the time of day
and whether it’s a domestic setting or an urban setting. I then use different
qualities of light - different colours, intensities and transitions - to tell the story.

How would you describe the lighting design for Gaslight?

The lighting design for Gaslight I would describe as similar to film noir in a way.
It’s very moody, and there’s lots of shadow and shafts of light to give a sort of
spooky atmosphere.

It’s all set in one room so it’s also quite naturalistic, which means it’s a realistic
setting. The gaslight itself is almost like its own character in the play because
it’s integral to telling the story so that’s an important part of the design.

How does the lighting design emphasise or connect with the themes
of the show?
It’s a very specific naturalistic setting, all in one room, and I’m using the
gaslights as the main sources of light. I’ve thought about the direction of the

ABOVE: NIC MOLLISON IN REHEARSALS FOR GASLIGHT. PHOTO: JESSICA ZENG.

RIGHT: NIC WITH DIRECTOR CATHERINE FITZGERALD. PHOTO: SIA DUFF.

26
light and the way the lights get turned up and down throughout the play, changing
the lighting to give the sense the gaslight is emanating from different areas. Apart
from visibility and creating an atmosphere, the way the light dims up and down
is a device used in the script. It’s a way to tell the story - but I won’t let it all out
because you have to come see the play to see how the light works.

What processes or techniques do you use to create the lighting design

for a play?
The starting point for any lighting design is getting the script. You read the script
and pull out any references you can use to start thinking about your lighting design
- it might say it’s a particular time of day, it might be a particular setting, whether
it’s indoors or outdoors - and you make notes about all these different things.
Someone might turn the light on, or someone opens a door and a shaft of light
comes through… you’re noting all those things.

From there you attend rehearsals and see where all the actors are moving on
stage, and you make sure you’re lighting the actors where they travel on stage.
Best case scenario is lighting should not be very noticeable or detract from the
action; it should be very much in the background and not dominate the story.

“Look. Can’t you see? The light! It’s going up.

He’s coming back.”
- Bella Manningham

27
ELLEN FREEMAN AND EILEEN DARLEY IN REHEARSALS FOR GASLIGHT. PHOTO: SIA DUFF.

What next?
Choose a type of design to focus on - set, costume, lighting or sound. Think
about what sort of direction you might take with your design.
Would it reflect the original setting of 1880s England and a naturalistic design?
Or would you choose a different time or place to connect with the themes? Or
something more abstract?
Think about the feeling you are trying to create with your design. List how the
elements you have chosen might reinforce this feeling. How might you change
these elements as the play progresses?
Create a mood board for your design - focus on a particular scene if that is
helpful. For set, costume and lighting design, find or draw images and diagrams
related to your vision. For sound design, find sounds or songs to create the feel
you are looking for.
In writing or in a presentation, explain why you have made these choices and
how your design connects with the story and themes of Gaslight.

Supporting materials
Video interviews with Ailsa Paterson and Nic Mollison:
statetheatrecompany.com.au/state-educate-resources

28
GENRE & FORM
RELATED TO THIS PRODUCTION OF GASLIGHT

Thriller
Thrillers are often defined by the mood and feeling they elicit. There is often
a sense of dread and impending danger or an unsettling feeling of something
being ‘not quite right’. Crime and mystery are often components of thriller
stories, adding the potential for sudden violence or other menace.
Uncertain motives and hidden information are usually key elements in thrillers.
Information and motivations are sometimes shown to the audience, but not to
the characters; other times, the audience and characters will be similarly kept in
the dark.
These elements create suspense as the audience contemplates and
anticipates the outcome, particularly for those characters who are behaving
honestly or who are in a vulnerable position.

Music Hall
Popular in the Victorian era, music hall is a type of British theatrical
entertainment featuring music, dancing, comedy, circus acts, mime and variety
entertainment. At the height of its popularity, music hall performances drew
hundreds of people from all classes, although it wasn’t considered a refined
form of theatre by some members of the upper class.
Male impersonators were a popular part of many music hall performances,
with women dressing up in drag as men to satirise or pay tribute to men of all
classes – from policemen and army officer to young boys and aristocrats. One
of the most popular male impersonators in Britain was Vesta Tilley, who was
loved by the working class for her mockery of the upper classes.
Music hall and vaudeville are considered to be similar types of entertainment,
with the latter being the more popular term and form in the United States and
France.

ELLEN FREEMAN AND KSENJA LOGOS IN REHEARSALS FOR GASLIGHT.

PHOTO: SIA DUFF.

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Melodrama
The history of melodrama as a form of theatre extends to plays in the Victoria
era where elements of drama were combined with music or song. Typically,
however, the term refers to a piece of theatre driven by plot and action, rather
than by characters or characterisation. The plot is often sensational, with
elements of violence or danger, and plays on the audience’s emotions.
Melodramas are usually set within a home and focus on issues of morality. This
form of drama sometimes relies on stereotypical characters or roles, such as
the villain, damsel in distress or hero. The characters often use pretentious or
sentimental language to express their emotions and the acting style can be
over-the-top.

Film Noir
The term ‘film noir’ is generally used to refer to crime dramas that emphasise
style and cynicism, often including sexual innuendo or motivations. Many films
considered classics of this genre were released in the 1940s and 1950s and are
typically shot in black and white. These films are the cinematic counterpart of
the hardboiled crime fiction featured in pulp fiction magazines and the works of
authors Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, amongst others.
The stories in these films often follow a private detective as he attempt to get to
the bottom of a mystery or crime. They are often driven by plot, rather than by
character, so are sometimes considered melodramas.
Film noir has a distinct visual style characterised by low lighting, shadows and
darkness. Dramatic shadow patterning and contrasts of light/dark are common,
often including use of elements that cast an interesting shadow, such as
Venetian blinds.

KSENJA LOGOS AS BELLA MANNINGHAM. PHOTO: THOMAS MCCAMMON.

30
VESTA TILLEY IN (RIGHT) AND OUT (LEFT) OF DRAG. PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN.

What next?
Choose one of the genres or story forms outlined on pages 29-30 and do some
research. Once you have a solid understanding of the genre or form, examine how
it relates to or is used in this production of Gaslight. Use specific examples and
quotes to demonstrate the relationship between the play and your chosen genre
or form. How did the direction, acting and design elements in this production
emphasise this theme, if at all? How might these elements have emphasised your
chosen genre or form more? Write down your ideas or discuss.

Think about the themes in Gaslight (see pages 32-33). Browse through a
newspaper or have a look on a news website. Can you see any of the themes of
the show reflected in current world events? Themes and issues like gender roles,
domestic violence and gaslighting (political and domestic) are still being discussed
by people today, both nationally and internationally.
Choose a theme or issue presented in the play and a news article from the past
12 months that shows how that theme or issue is still relevant. Research how your
chosen topic was viewed and talked about in the 1880s/Victorian era (when the
play is set) and/or in the 1930s (when Patrick Hamilton wrote the play); compare
this to current discourse on the topic. How has the way we see this concept or
idea changed from the 1880s and/or 1930s to the present day? How is it similar?
Write down your responses uses quotes from the play and a news source or
sources.

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THEMES & CONCEPTS
IN PATRICK HAMILTON’S GASLIGHT

Women & Madness in the Victorian Era

The role of a woman in England during the Victorian era was to marry, perform
household tasks (which would differ between classes) and show interest in the
life and livelihood of her husband. The wife’s interests and needs were to come
second to those of the ‘man of the house’.
The idea of ‘madness’ and the threat of being sent to a ‘lunatic asylum’ (a
Victorian era psychiatric facility) were used to control women who did not
conform to typical gender roles or attitudes. Men could send their wives,
daughters or sisters to a mental institution for a wide variety of reasons, the
majority of which we would not see as signs of mental illness today. Sending
women to an asylum was a method for getting women out of the way, silencing
them, or even obtaining their assets.
If Bella had really been experiencing significant memory loss, this would have
been a genuine reason to seek medical or psychiatric assistance. However,
as the audience learns, Bella is not suffering from any mental impairment, but
from the manipulation of her husband. Jack fabricated the symptoms of her
‘madness’ to get her out of the way, as did many other men of this era.

Gaslighting: Manipulation & Deception

“Gaslight (verb): A form of psychological manipulation where a person seeks to
make their targeted individual or group question their own memory, perception
and sanity.”
The above definition has been used in much of the promotion for this
production of Gaslight and is a succinct way of summarising this kind of
behaviour.
The term ‘gaslight’ began to be used colloquially from the 1960s, but has seen
a huge rise in popularity in recent years. Taking its name from the title of Patrick
Hamilton’s play, gaslighting is often used to describe psychological manipulation

32
and deception in the political and social sphere, but also refers to relationships
within domestic settings.
Gaslighters sow seeds of doubt in the minds of their ‘victims’ using denial, lies,
misdirection and misinformation. In personal relationships or domestic settings,
they will often belittle the emotions and achievements of the person they are
gaslighting. As a result, the victim’s self-esteem will often suffer and they will
be less likely to trust their own judgement. Instead, victims will often turn to the
perpetrators as a source of truth. Many gaslighters are skilled liars and are easily
able to fool or manipulate not only their victim, but outside parties.
Power is often a factor in the relationship between gaslighters and their victims,
with the gaslighter usually being in a greater position of authority. An existing
power imbalance often means the victim is more likely to believe in the truth and
importance of what the perpetrator says.
Sociopaths and narcissists frequently use gaslighting tactics. Gaslighting is a
common factor in many domestic violence situations.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE PLAY

The relationship between Jack and Bella Manningham fits this typical model of
gaslighting. Jack, in a position of authority as the ‘man of the house’ in 1880s
England, exerts his powers of manipulation to make Bella question her memory
and sanity.
Jack insults, gaslights and manipulates Bella constantly in the play. He also cuts
Bella off from her family, orders her around, does not allow her free run of her own
home and threatens her with the possibility of being sent to an asylum. She does
not appear to be able to leave the house or to have any personal connections
outside of it. She is entirely reliant on Jack. His behaviour is undoubtedly
abusive. This situation could definitely been seen as a case of coercive control,
psychological and emotional abuse, and domestic violence.

POTENTIAL POLITICAL MEANING

During the 1930s, Patrick Hamilton was increasingly enraged by capitalism and
fascism, and made this known through his writing. He was an avowed Marxist who
believed that the violence being enacted by fascists in Europe would lead to the
fall of capitalism.
Gaslight was released in 1938, a year which saw Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party
gain more political ground and influence as they annexed and invaded areas
outside of Germany. The play premiered just weeks before Time magazine named
Hitler the “Man of the Year”.
An argument could be made that Jack Manningham represents capitalist/fascist
power gaslighting his victims, Bella Manningham represents those territories
being tricked or invaded by the Nazis, and Sergeant Rough represents Marxism
or communism. There is no record of Hamilton making such comparisons, but it
seems a reasonable lens through which to look at this work given how often he
addressed politics in his writing and the current events of the time.

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