On September 1 1934, the body of a young woman was discovered partly concealed in a culvert running under Howlong Road, about 8 kilometres west of Albury. She had been bashed and shot and her body set alight. No one knew who this young woman was and wild rumours abounded.
Intriguingly, she was found wearing yellow silk pyjamas, a detail the media latched onto, naming this unknown victim, the Pyjama Girl.
The investigation that followed became something of a phenomenon throughout the nation, capturing the headlines of every major newspaper for almost a decade. Closer to home, the Pyjama Girl mystery became synonymous with the identity of Albury.
Eventually, a man confessed tot he killing, identifying the woman as Linda Agostini, his wife. The case was closed and Antonio Agostini served a little over four years for manslaughter before being deported to Italy.
Playwright and former Kiewa resident Emma Gibson found, upon investigation, there is much, much more to the story than the official records suggest. The Pyjama Girl is directed by Travis Dowling.
“From the moment Emma Gibson approached me about supporting the development of her project, The Pyjama Girl, I was hooked,” says Jon Halpin, HotHouse Theatre’s Artistic Director.
“This historical story is fascinating, there’s much more to it when you dig deeper, and Emma brings a fresh, theatrical twist to the whole thing.”
The Pyjama Girl
The Butter Factory Theatre, Gateway Island, Wodonga
Season: 25 October – 9 November 2013
Bookings: (02) 6021 7433 or online at: www.hothousetheatre.com.au
For more information, visit: www.hothousetheatre.com.au for details.
Image: courtesy of HotHouse Theatre