Returning to the stage with two brand new stories, Candy Matson and Johnny Dollar are up against new foes dastardlier than before. Performing as if recording a 1950s radio play, Benjamin Maio Mackay has once again revived old-time radio detective Matson in a story with an Egyptian twist, and Dollar, who comes up against a force much bigger than one person.

This year, Candy Matson is taken on by Tate Simpson, who looks the part in her 1950s blue dress and red gloves – and sounds it too, the female ‘Frisco private eye giving the guys a good run for their money as she strides into dangerous situations. Maio Mackay resumes his characterisation of Police Detective Mallard, with Eden Trebilco improvising his way around the script and sound effects, and the fabulous Jennifer Barry creating all manner of wonderful characters – some with just a few lines, but each of them distinct from the next.

The Candy Matson episode isn’t as polished as previous incarnations: perhaps we’re over saturated with the film noir archetypes and old-fashioned American private detective stories, but the initial mysteries aren’t strong enough to last to the end.

The second story, with Johnny Dollar, is more successful, with both writing and performance tighter – helped in no small part by Trebilco’s cocky Dollar, and his improvisational skills when things don’t quite go to plan.