A THEATRE 180 Production in Collaboration with Government House Foundation
The incredible true story of a crime which shocked the nation, and the courtroom trial which tested the law in Western Australia.
ARTHUR HAYNES AND THE SMOKING GUN by Jenny Davis tells the incredible true story of a crime which shocked the nation, the scandalous murder of Cyril Gidley by Audrey Jacob in 1925 in front of hundreds of guests at a charity ball at the Government House Ballroom and the courtroom trial which tested the law in Western Australia.
ARTHUR HAYNES AND THE SMOKING GUN explores the turbulent times following the ravages of WWI, when society’s values were changing, and young people were living life with passion through the Roaring Twenties. As the story unfolds, the fascinating ambiguities of the tale leave the audience in the position of the jury. The facts become mired in speculation, and what initially appeared as an open and shut case becomes more and more difficult to determine…
Arthur Haynes & The Smoking Gun by Jenny Davis launched at Government House Ballroom in September 2025.
Performances continue at venues across Western Australia in 2026.
TICKETS:
www.theatre180.com.au/show/arthur-haynes-and-the-smoking-gun-tickets-on-sale-feb-21/
Designing ‘Arthur Haynes & The Smoking Gun’
This unprecedented production premiered at the scene of the crime that conjured it into being, to a rhapsody of 1920s music, period costume and exquisite performance.
From the outset, the smooth glides of broad-staired bannisters and folds of heavy drapery cloaking archways and balconies at Government House summoned a visual presence in the show.
An early site visit to the Supreme Court of WA had its own theatricality, where entry domes of ethereal stained glass contrasted with tombs of timber pillars, cast-iron chairs and hidden chambers.
In researching for ‘Arthur Haynes and the Smoking Gun’, a visit to the State Records Office of WA was an absolute highlight, revealing astonishing documents concerning the court case and the life and times of Cyril Gidley and Audrey Jacob.
Throughout production and performance, there was a mysticism and a frisson of excitement in the venue, which bubbled into glittering light and smoke throughout the visual design.
