Entertainment
21 June, 2026
Chaos on Rondo’s catwalk
A LOVE letter to Hollywood’s classic film noir era will take to the stage in Cairns when playwright Ken Cotterill’s latest comedy-thriller ‘Catwalk Chaos’ opens at the Rondo Theatre on 26 June.
Written and directed by Mr Cotterill, the production is inspired by the crime thrillers that dominated cinemas in the 1940s and 1950s.
“It was really a tribute and a spoof of these film noir movies of the 1940s and 50s that came out of Hollywood,” Mr Cotterill said.
“I’ve always been a fan of some of those films. I just like the ambience, the darkness, the detective who’s got a stubble, the femme fatale, the crimes.”
Set in 1957 Los Angeles, Catwalk Chaos follows world-weary private detective Mitch Wrigley, played by Ben Cook, as a routine blackmail case spirals into a web of secrets, seduction and double-crosses.
The cast also features Vanessa Dinelli as Stella Simpson, Karen Wilson as Moxy Morris, Melanie Hossell as Toni Thompson, Rebecca Martin as Greta Green and Herman Smith as Big Harry.
Mr Cotterill said one of his goals was to recreate the pace and style of classic noir films on stage.
“I just want to capture the fast lingo, you know, the fast dialogue. It’s very fast. There’s no messing about. It’s bang, bang, bang, bang.”
The playwright has also taken on directing duties to ensure the production stays true to the genre that inspired it.
“I knew what I wanted in this one because I’m a big film noir fan,” he said.
“I knew what the femme fatale had to be like, what the detective had to be like.”
While inspired by traditional crime thrillers, Mr Cotterill said audiences should expect plenty of laughs.
“This is a comedy. There’s a big comedy element to it,” he said.
“We’ve got a few interesting characters in the play: a hypochondriac detective, a dead body actress and a femme fatale who always likes to be in posing mode.”
Mr Cotterill said the production also showcased the depth of talent within Cairns’ theatre community.
“It shows that Cairns has got talent. There’s so much of it,” he said.
Opening on Friday 26 June, Catwalk Chaos runs until 11 July, with matinees on 28 June and 5 July. Evening performances begin at 7.30pm and matinees at 2pm. Tickets are available through the Rondo Theatre via: www.bit.ly/3SptjzS and Last Call Ticketing.
