The Hatpin

The Hatpin
Original cast recording cover
MusicPeter Rutherford
LyricsJames Millar
BookJames Millar
Productions2008 Sydney
2008 NYMF
2011 Melbourne
2012 London
2014 South Perth
2016 Hobart
2018 Brisbane

The Hatpin is a musical by James Millar (book and lyrics) and Peter Rutherford (composer). It was inspired by the true story of Amber Murray who in 1892 gave up her son to the Makin family in Sydney, Australia. Written and developed in 2006–2007, The Hatpin opened at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre in Sydney on 27 February 2008 and ran for 13 shows.[1] The musical has received subsequent productions in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Hatpin is included in the hardback, The Australian Musical: From the beginning (2019), on pages 251 and 252.[2], and includes details of the 2008 premiere in Sydney and US premiere at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, the 2010 showcase and 2011 Victorian premiere in Melbourne, the 2012 London premiere, the 2014 Western Australian premiere in Perth, and the 2018 Queensland premiere in Brisbane.

Synopsis

See also: John and Sarah Makin

The Hatpin is based on a series of infanticides committed in Sydney in 1892, and is the true story of a single mother, Amber Murray, who advertised her baby in a newspaper trading column in the hope of saving his life. The baby farmers John and Sarah Makin (renamed Agatha and Charles for the show) had taken her child, Horace, in return for regular support payments, but had in fact murdered him. The evil couple are eventually arrested and tried for the murder of several infants, leading to one of the most moving criminal trials in Australian history. Using the moral support she gains from her friendship with the free-spirited Harriet Piper, Amber fights the injustices of circumstance and tragedy to find hope, strength, and justice for her son Horace.[3]

Productions

The original Australian production of The Hatpin opened at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre in Sydney on 27 February 2008, produced by Neil Gooding Productions and White Box Theatre. There were 13 performances in total and it starred Melle Stewart, Peter Cousens, Michelle Doake, Gemma-Ashley Kaplan, Caroline O'Connor and Barry Crocker.[3]

The Hatpin made its US premiere on 15 September 2008 with 6 performances at the American Theatre of Actors in the Chernuchin Theatre as a participant of the New York Musical Theatre Festival.[4] Caroline O'Connor and Gemma-Ashley Kaplan followed The Hatpin overseas to reprise their roles as Harriet Piper and Clara Makin. Gemma-Ashley Kaplan later played the role of Amber Murray in the 2011 Melbourne premiere.

Magnormos showcased The Hatpin at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne as part of OzMade Musicals 2010, and in 2011 presented the Melbourne premiere at Theatre Works, St. Kilda, with an 8 performance season from 16 to 28 May. It was directed by Shaun Kingma with musical direction by Sophie Thomas.[5]

The musical received a London fringe production (24 performances) from 30 October to 24 November 2012 at the Blue Elephant Theatre, in a Heather Doole, Blue Elephant & Greenwich Theatre co-production in association with Lazarus Theatre.[6][7][8] Additional cast members Ziggie Sky Ward, Grace Lewis, Elly Lowney, and Linda Taimre appeared as Abigail Holt, Sarah McFarland, Elizabeth Hope, and Mary Edwards, respectively.[9]

The West Australian premiere of The Hatpin took place at South Perth's Old Mill Theatre with 10 performances from 11 July to 20 July 2014.[10] Tim Prosser, Nicholas Cruse, Mitchell Crouch, David Cosgrove, and Luke Heath all appeared in minor roles.[11]

The Tasmanian premiere of The Hatpin was presented by Bijou Creative in 2016 at the Peacock Theatre, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart from 17 to 26 March. This production was co-directed by Charlea Edwards and Karen Kluss.[12]

In 2018, The Hatpin had its Queensland premiere with Oz Theatricals at the Spring Hill Reservoirs near The Old Windmill, Brisbane, with a 5 performance season from 20 to 23 September. It was directed by David Harrison with musical direction by Julie Whiting, costume design by Erin Tribble, and choreography by Lauren Lee Innis-Youren.[13]

Roles and principal casts

Character Sydney (2008)[1][3] USA (2008)[4] Melbourne (2011)[5] London (2012)[6][7][8][9] South Perth (2014)[10][11] Hobart (2016)[12] Brisbane (2018)[13]
Amber Murray Melle Stewart Alexis Fishman Gemma-Ashley Kaplan Gemma Beaton Sarah Cosstick Grace Ovens Lara Boyle
Harriet Piper Caroline O'Connor Samantha Morley Eleanor Sandars Judi Johnson Nicole Farrow Carly Quinn
Agatha Makin Michelle Deake Cyrilla Baer Pond Sophie Collins Kate Playdon Andrea von Bertouch Anna Kidd Fiona Buchanan
Clara Makin Gemma-Ashley Kaplan Emma Jones Emma White Madeleine Shaw Cassie Ogle Tyallah Bullock
Charles Makin Peter Cousens Paul Kandel Philip Gould Robin Holden Angelino Schintu Jeff Keogh Chris Kellett
Edward Cleary Tyran Parke Matt Leisy Jacob Cook Mark Byles Un­known Un­known Christopher Batkin
James Hanoney /
Justice Stephen 		Barry Crocker Michael A. Pizzi Martin Lane Hayward Morse Adam Salathiel Valdemar Jakobsen
Minnie Davies Jennifer Peers Mary Catherine McDonald Megan Hoult Michaela Cartmell Un­known Samantha LeClaire
Marianne Leonard Octavia Barron-Martin Casey Erin Clark Montana Perrin Katie Allison Shelise Vandal
Rebecca Rigby Jodie Harris Sharone Halevy Kimberley Colman Elise Fabris Sophia Dimopoulos
Thomas Williamson /
James Joyce 		Nick Christo Billy Clark Taylor Adam Rafferty Tom Bristow Tristan Ham


Musical numbers

Recording

An original cast album was released in 2008 by Neil Gooding Productions.[14][15]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Rutherford.

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Overture"The Hatpin Orchestra3:41
2."Hymn"The Hatpin Cast1:01
3."Twisted Little Town"The Hatpin Cast3:44
4."Puddles"Melle Stewart (as Amber Murray)3:50
5."Work"The Hatpin Cast & Caroline O'Connor (as Harriet Piper)5:57
6."Bad Fruit"Caroline O'Connor & Melle Stewart3:06
7."Knock Knock Knock"The Hatpin Cast2:52
8."Enough"Melle Stewart2:12
9."Gathering Sirens"The Hatpin Cast & Melle Stewart4:39
10."Steal Away"Peter Cousens (as Charlie Makin)3:23
11."The Hand of Courage"Caroline O'Connor & Melle Stewart3:55
12."These Things"The Hatpin Cast2:05
13."Digging Up"The Hatpin Cast & Barry Crocker (as James Hanoney)2:39
14."So Much More Than Me"Melle Stewart4:13
15."Why Did I Give Him Away?"The Hatpin Cast & Melle Stewart2:39
16."Sail"Caroline O'Connor & Gemma-Ashley Kaplan (as Clara Makin)1:58
17."Something Like Being a Mother"Caroline O'Connor2:52
18."Natural Causes"The Hatpin Cast3:00
19."The Hatpin"Gemma-Ashley Kaplan5:45
20."The Verdict"The Hatpin Cast & Barry Crocker (as Justice Stephen)2:16
21."Holding You"Caroline O'Connor & Melle Stewart4:57
22."A Tiny Glow / Sail (Reprise)"The Hatpin Cast3:19

Awards and nominations

  • 2008 Sydney Theatre Awards[16]
    • Best New Australian Work – Peter Rutherford and James Millar (nominee)
    • Judith Johnson Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical – Michelle Doake (winner)
    • Judith Johnson Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical – Gemma-Ashley Kaplan (nominee)
  • 2011 Melbourne Green Room Awards
  • 2018 Matilda Awards[17][18][19][20][21][22]
    • Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Carly Quinn (nominee)
    • Bille Brown Award – Best Emerging Artist – Carly Quinn (winner)

References

  1. ^ a b Casben, Brett (1 March 2008). "The Hatpin". Australian Stage. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  2. ^ Pinne, Peter; Johnston, Peter Wylie (2019). The Australian Musical: From the beginning. Allen & Unwin (Australia). pp. 251–252. ISBN 9781760529666. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "The Hatpin – Aussie Musical for Melbourne". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b Kaplan, Russell M. (17 September 2008). "The Hatpin". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b Herbert, Kate (20 May 2011). "Review: The Hatpin, Magnormos". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  6. ^ a b "The Hatpin". Blue Elephant Theatre. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  7. ^ a b Giorgetti, Sandra (30 October 2012). "Theatre review: The Hatpin at The Blue Elephant". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  8. ^ a b "The Hatpin". views from the gods. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Pre 2016". Lazarus Theatre. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Hope, courage and mother's love in WA premiere of murderous musical". Old Mill Theatre. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  11. ^ a b Shaw, Kimberley. "The Hatpin". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  12. ^ a b Abbott, Merlene (19 March 2016). "The Hatpin". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  13. ^ a b Pinne, Peter (21 September 2018). "The Hatpin". Stage Whispers. Archived from the original on 29 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  14. ^ "The Hatpin / music [by] Peter Rutherford; book & lyrics [by] James Millar". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  15. ^ "The Hatpin (Original Cast Recording)". iTunes. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  16. ^ "2008 Sydney Theatre Awards". The Sydney Theatre Awards. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  17. ^ "2018 Matilda Awards Nominees". The Matilda Awards. 19 February 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  18. ^ "2018 Matilda Awards". The Matilda Awards. 19 February 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Matilda Awards Archives: 2010s (2018)". The Matilda Awards. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  20. ^ "Matildas honour best of 2018 Queensland theatre". Art's Engage (Queensland Government). 19 February 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  21. ^ "2018 Matilda Awards". Stage Whispers. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  22. ^ Scott, Eric (22 February 2019). "2018 Matilda Awards: All the winners". Absolute Theatre. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
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