Simmonds and Newcombe
Australia's Longest Police Chase
Simmonds + Newcombe
The Story
In 1959, two convicts, Kevin Simmonds and Les Newcombe, undertook an audacious escape from Sydney's notorious Long Bay Penitentiary, which led to the biggest police hunt in NSW history. Their deadly run involved around 500 policemen, armed with guns, bulletproof vests and fast cars. Escaping from the central section of the gaol through a ventilation duct in the roof of the prison chapel, they spent their first night of freedom huddled in a freshly dug grave in Botany Cemetery. Over the ensuing weeks these two mates sought to hide under the Sydney Showground grandstand, break into Emu Plains Prison Farm to steal a revolver and hide in a car buried in the bush. You'll learn their fate and what happened with that bloodied cricket stump.
Adult Themes
Adult Themes Staged combat together with rough language. PG recommended for patrons 12+. Those aged 12 to 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Access
This venue is flat and is accessed from the western courtyard off King Street, between Elizabeth and Macquarie Streets. We will meet there, then move down the tunnel and into side rooms. Disabled access is possible and there are disabled toilets. Email us to check if you're uncertain of your ability to move easily through this venue.
Your Guide Reveals The Shocking Truth
For many centuries in the northern hemisphere morgues were called Deadhouses because bodies could not be buried in the winter when the ground was frozen, so the dead were stored in Deadhouses until the thaw. Prior to 1972 our Deadhouse was the Sydney Morgue and Coroner’s Court located in lower George Street. Our tales are derived from the thousands of cases that passed through that grim place.
Immerse Yourself In The Crypt
Join us and immerse yourself in some classic Australian tales of true crime as you’re guided through scenes that unfold before you in the crypt under St James' Church, the two hundred year old sandstone structure designed by early Sydney's renown convict architect, Francis Greenway. This is a burial ground.
CAST
Chris Miller
Kevin Simmonds
Jordan Gallegos
Les Newcombe
Kyla Ward
Detective Merchant
Wendi Lanham
Grace Eyre
Lucy Hadfield
Fran / Mia
Leofric Kingsford-Smith
Graces Father / Detective Kelly
Suzanne James
Sister Regence/Graces mother/Woman
Chris Daw
Colin, Cop 2/Ambulance Officer
Bill Jordan
Cop 1/Judge/Prison Guard/ Mr Askin
Steve Maresca
Darcy Dugan / Watchman/David
CREATIVES & CREW
Stephen Carnell
Executive Producer | Marketing
Michael Dengler
Producer
Liviu Monsted
Writer | Director
Lew McDonnell
Props & Set
Mehran Mortezaei
Lighting & Sound Designer
Michael Dengler
Costumes
Aaron Smith
Itinerary Content | Stage Manager
Amber Spooner
Lighting Operator
Phyllis Wong
Photography
Julia Park
Graphic Design
Robbi James
Publicity
