Step into 1985, when TV was live and everyone had to be at home to tune in. Aussie grown mini-series, movies, and local dramas filled our living rooms and there were no rewinds, no boxed sets and no on-demand viewing. TV Week was our biggest spoiler source.  One of the most unforgettable shows was A Country Practice, which ran for 14 seasons. Millions caught every moment on screen twice a week and fell in love with the characters and their stories, dreaming of a life in Wandin Valley. Viewers weren’t just watching a show, they were part of a shared experience. So when the beloved character of Molly Jones died, the nation stopped and mourned together.

A Country Practice’s enduring appeal came from its authentic world, populated by characters viewers truly cared about, and storylines that balanced everyday drama with meaningful social themes. How to Plot a Hit in Two Days cleverly echoes this. Playwright Melanie Tait throws open the doors of a writers’ room, revealing very real people driven by a deep love for their craft and characters. It’s a story about storytelling- and telling them well.

Director Lee Lewis drives the action with pace, sharp dialogue, and well-placed comedic and dramatic beats, immersing the audience in a setting steeped in the nostalgia of the 1980s when A Country Practice is at the height of its fifth season. For the writers, it is equal parts nightmare and delight when a crisis arises. How do you write out a nation’s sweetheart while cranking up the drama and keep the ratings soaring?

Fuelled by coffee, Minties, and a little chaos, much of the humour comes from their outrageous ideas for Molly’s exit. From fleeing to an ashram, a scandalous affair with Bruce Spence, to a car crash motivated by Mozart – everything goes on the board! It’s a delicate balancing act, maintaining suspense and audience investment, all within just 14 weeks to capitalise. 

The cast is a compelling mix of personalities. Their strength as an ensemble is heightened by a refreshing lens on women’s agency during a time of entrenched misogyny and glass ceilings, reflecting the independence and resilience that also defined the female characters in A Country Practice. 

Amy Ingram’s Sharon is the high octane engine of the room, commanding attention and keeping her well-oiled team on track personally and professionally.  Sharon is part ex-bikie, part ex-crim and all heart. And she loves TV. Ingram moves with impeccable comic timing, almost stealing every scene and punchline. Sharon is a lesson in Aussie pluck and cutting the crap, and Ingram blends this pragmatism with genuine warmth.

Genevieve Lemon’s timing is exquisite. Sharp, playful, and perfectly calibrated to land both comedy and drama. She makes Dell a wise and witty presence as a woman of huge intelligence and resilience. A writer who has survived the highs and lows of life and storytelling with aplomb. You get the sense she’s only just begun.

Georgie Parker is Judy, the writer always called in when a character must be killed off. There is a clever situational irony in her role, as Parker once played Lucy on A Country Practice. Judy equally dreads and relishes the task, because Molly, as her own creation, carries immense emotional weight. While most of the audience likely knows the outcome, Parker delivers Molly’s ending in a fresh, poignant, and vibrantly real way.

The sole male writer in the ensemble, Bert, played by Seán O’Shea, stands out not only for his gender but also for his unique approach as resident joke writer in the creative process. Bert values structure and depth and his love for classical music bring some wonderful comedic moments to the play.

Julia Robertson’s Sally juggles nursing shifts while contributing to the medical side of the scripts. New to the writers’ room, but already a vital spark, Robertson delivers both the sensitivity and the vulnerability of a youngster learning the ropes while making crucial contributions to the creative and ethical process.  

Tait highlights that while the word “diversity” wasn’t even a whiff on the horizon,  A Country Practice, and television more broadly, carried the responsibility of wielding real cultural influence. While the show could be considered an elevated soap opera, it consistently balanced meaningful social commentary with the demands of engaging prime-time television.

Clever, affectionate, and full of laughs, How to Plot a Hit in Two Days is as much a celebration of A Country Practice as it is of the writers behind the scenes. Packed with references to cherished characters, memorable plots, and insider nods, it could feel niche, but for Ensemble Theatre patrons (and this self-confessed fan and reviewer) it lands perfectly. There’s a reason everyone in the audience sighed and then chuckled as soon as that iconic score played over the opening scene. 

Laughter, discovery, and the occasional nostalgic tear make this play a joyous reminder of why these stories and those who told them endure. So if you ever loved Matron Sloane, Shirley’s pyramid, Bob&Cookie, Dr Dreamy Elliott – Fatso! (the list is wonderfully endless) and all the twists of Wandin Valley, do – not – miss it!

How to Plot a Hit in Two Days plays at the Ensemble Theatre until 11 Oct. For further details see: https://www.ensemble.com.au/

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