Opinion & Perspectives
25 July, 2026
A REVIEW: St Arnaud stars shine on hall stage
IF I had closed my eyes, I could have sworn that the recently revived St Arnaud Theatre Company’s production of the Hanging of Andrew Vair was that of one in a metro ensemble.
IF I had closed my eyes, I could have sworn that the recently revived St Arnaud Theatre Company’s production of the Hanging of Andrew Vair was that of one in a metro ensemble.
As I sat in the St Arnaud Town Hall during their recent run of performances, this was an exact thought that ran through my head.
After having many-a conversations with director and eventual star Tobias Sherson since late last year, back when the resurrgance of the company was in its infancy, I was keen for him to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.
And he damn-well ran.
Bringing together a band of merry faces many across St Arnaud and surrounds know and love, this cast stepped out of their daily lives and into these historic roles to tell a story many may have never heard before.
An important part of St Arnaud’s history - a dark side.
And while the performance itself was something to behold - the work in the lead up was just as extrordinary.
The soon-to-be-audience was introduced to each character one-by-one on the company’s social media through profiles on the actors and the characters they would soon be morphing into.
This was done with the assistance of beautifully moody imagery captured by talented local photographer David Holyoake.
Having known many of the actors outside of the play, the way the headshots and charactor portraits were taken made me do a double take and take a few moments to work out who they were.
This was also done thanks to the phenomenal costume designer and creator Amelia McIntyre.
Each three-piece suit, corseted dress and heel or moustache and beard had clearly been thought over and carefully selected.
And we can’t forget the hours of tireless researching done by the St Arnaud Historical Society and Friends of the Library. Namely Richard *, who told me there were hours of work and pages upon pages of research that went into the project.
But opening night - wow.
A handful of opening-night nerves were evident early, but the cast quickly settled into confident performances.
Every actor, who most had the hard task of taking on multiple roles, slipped into the town’s history like they were meant to be there.
In January 1869, a shot rang out on the tramway at Armenian Gully, St Arnaud.
Amos Cheale - mine manager, town councillor, and the man who had stripped Scottish miner Andrew Vair of his gold discovery — fell dying in the dust.
Vair fled. For over a year he evaded police across two colonies. When he was finally brought to trial at the Ararat Circuit Court, the jury found him guilty — but begged for mercy.
The judge refused.
On August 15, 1870, Andrew Vair became the last man ever hanged from St Arnaud. The Hanging of Andrew Vair is a true crime drama based on real events, written by the late Bryan Small and first performed by the St Arnaud Theatre Company in 1985.
While each character stood on their own two feet, I would be remiss if I didn’t speak about Mr Sherson’s performance as the lead.
Having adapted a well-practiced Scottish accent, he spent time before the performance had even started, bringing the audience into this world beside the stage - hurriedly writing letters, mumbling to himself.
A man who had a lot to say but not enough time to say it.
Mr Sherson captured the essense of a man wrestling with loss of his livelihood, but knew what he did would change his life - and a town - forever.
But a key theme throughout the show was support and friendship. Characters like Ettie Cadzow (Jaspar Hart-Crozier) who knew the wrong Vair had done, still stood by his side even while people around her spoke poorly of him.
Or Henry Strong (Tyler Wineberg) who couldn’t bare to see Vair meet his demise, but promised he would take letters home to their shared motherland - a touching moment at a time when Vair knew he didn’t have long left.
Mr Wineberg also had the role of Jock Cadzow to contend with, making for arguably two polar opposite characters to portray.
And to add to that, he would often be chopping and changing between the two. But the swaps were seamless.
Another standout was Calvin Taylor as McDermott the defence barrister.
The inclusion of the audience as the jury in this case was a fascinating twist, but having to deliver your monologue straight into the faces of said audience was a tall tast.
But Mr Taylor - and Terrance Robertson as Mr Adamson the prosecution - handled that task well. Even if his dig at the St Arnaud Mercury’s coverage of backlash while looking straight at me did slightly shake me in my core.
And I can’t forget the beautiful performances by the ladies on stage. While every single person deserves a moment in the spotlight, Zoe Cunningham as Jeanine Cadzow was spectacular. Her show of raw emotion as she watched a man die was something to behold.
I could go on forever.
Needless to say, the re-formation of this company and its first show as that were a hit.
Combining dedicated performances, thoughtful staging and a story deeply rooted in the district’s history, the cast and crew created a show that is both entertaining and meaningful.
Whether you’re a theatre enthusiast or simply interested in the town’s past, it’s well worth taking a seat at the company’s next show - whenever that may be.
No pressure guys, but I need to see more.
Read More: St Arnaud