Is it my Cup of Tea - Around the World in 80 Days.

Written by Quentin Clark, audience member Saturday 9th May.

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There’s something beautifully chaotic about bringing Around the World in Eighty Days to the stage. Trains, ships, mistaken identities, collapsing timelines, and a globe-spanning adventure all have to somehow fit inside a community theatre production without flying completely off the rails. This ambitious production managed exactly that, leaning fully into the comedy, pace, and theatrical absurdity of the story while never losing its heart.

From the opening scenes, the ensemble moved like a well-fed wood-fired steamer, constantly powering the production forward with impressive energy and teamwork. Cast members transformed seamlessly between characters while shifting sets, creating a sense of movement that rarely slowed. The production trusted physical comedy and strong ensemble work over flashy spectacle, and the result felt inventive, playful, and genuinely alive.

One of the standout performers of the night was Graham Scott, whose seemingly endless rotation of eccentric characters became a running delight throughout the show. Whether appearing as an angry judge, the Hong Kong consul, a street sweeper, a wide-legged cowboy, or an Indian whist player, each character felt completely distinct. His physical comedy and commitment to every role had the audience roaring with laughter, often before he’d even spoken a line.

James Longstaff, making his theatre debut as Passepartout, was another highlight. His exaggerated French accent, clumsy enthusiasm, and constant ability to create problems for poor Phileas Fogg brought enormous charm to the production. Passepartout is the engine of much of the show’s comedy, and Longstaff embraced the role with infectious energy and warmth. Watching him stumble from one disaster to another while desperately trying to help his master became one of the evening’s greatest pleasures.

The lead role of Phileas Fogg was played by director Nathan Schulz, which in itself feels like a massive undertaking in such a technically demanding community theatre production. Fogg is intentionally rigid, proper, and emotionally restrained, which can sometimes make him a difficult character to connect with. However, Schulz handled the role with precision and steady control, while allowing the developing love story with Mrs Aouda (Sakthi Braakensiek) to gradually soften the character’s edges. Those moments of emotional warmth brought balance to the surrounding chaos and gave the production a surprising amount of heart beneath the relentless comedy.

What made the show particularly impressive was its ability to maintain humour even during darker narrative moments. A scene involving Mrs Aouda being rescued from involuntary sacrificial burning on her husband’s funeral pyre could easily have become tonally jarring, yet the production’s strong sense of tempo and theatrical style allowed the audience to remain engaged without losing the emotional stakes entirely. The audience spent much of the evening in fits of laughter, carried along by the show’s confidence and momentum.

Ultimately, this production of Around the World in 80 Days embraced exactly what community theatre does best: ambition, creativity, collaboration, and wholehearted commitment. It was fast, funny, delightfully theatrical, and proof that sometimes the joy of live performance lies not in perfection, but in the exhilarating ride itself.

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Around the World in 80 days

Written by Jules Verne

Adapted by Laura Eason

Directed by Nathan Schulz

Tugun Theatre company Inc

Season May 8th to 30th

Bookings www.tuguntheatre.org

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