Plot Twist

Experience the thrill of storytelling in real time as crime writers create a brand-new tale before your eyes.

This is not your traditional author talk!

Get ready as Gabriel Bergmoser and Laura McCluskey collaborate on stage to create a brand-new crime novel in real time, guided by hosts Fiona Harris and Mike McLeish, along with twists and prompts from the audience.

Part performance, part improvisation, this playful and fast-paced event will give the audience a peek behind the curtain at how twists, tension, and “unbelievable” moments come together.

Don’t miss this unique chance to see storytelling unfold live before your eyes.

Suitable for adults. Bookings required.

Laura McCluskey

Laura McCluskey is an Australian author, editor and actor based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her debut novel, The Wolf Tree (2025), is a critically acclaimed crime thriller inspired by Scottish folklore and the real‑life mystery of the Eilean Mòr lighthouse keepers. The novel launched an internationally published crime series featuring detectives Georgina Lennox and Richie Stewart, with the second instalment, The Cursed Road, released in 2026.

Alongside her fiction, Laura is the co‑founder of Three Fates Theatre Company and the production company Sibylline Films, and has worked across theatre, film and television. Her work is known for its atmospheric tension, complex characters, and sense of place.

Gabriel Bergmoser

Gabriel Bergmoser is a Melbourne‑based author, playwright and screenwriter. After beginning in youth theatre, he completed a Masters of Screenwriting at the Victorian College of the Arts and co‑founded Bitten By Productions.

His theatre work includes the Babylon Trilogy, Heroes, Springsteen, and The Trial of Dorian Gray. In 2015 he won the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award.

Gabriel is the author of the internationally published thrillers The Hunted and The Inheritance, both now in film development, as well as The True Colour of a Little White Lie. His Audible Originals include the chart‑topping The Hitchhiker.

Fiona Harris

Fiona Harris is an Australian writer, actor and director with extensive experience across television, film and theatre.

She co-wrote and starred in ABC’s Flipside, Channel Nine’s Comedy Inc – The Late Shift, and Network Ten’s Skithouse, and was head scriptwriter on ABC3’s Prank Patrol. Her screen credits include Offspring, The Beautiful Lie, The Librarians, Tangle and Mr & Mrs Murder. She continues to write for stage and screen and develop new television projects.

She is also the author of the Forever Clover children’s book series. In 2026, she released the middle-grade novel The Embarrassing Confessions of Gracie Sparks.

Mike McLeish

Mike McLeish is an Australian writer, actor, MC and musician whose career spans theatre, television and live performance. He is best known for playing Paul Keating in the hit Keating! The Musical and has appeared on screen in Utopia, Offspring, The Librarians, Wentworth and Mustangs FC.

A cabaret performer, songwriter and in-demand MC, Mike tours nationally with solo shows and musical comedy. With longtime collaborator Fiona Harris, he co-created the award-winning comedy series The Drop Off and co-wrote two novels based on the show.