'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' Season 1, Episode 6 Recap: "Ruddygore"

In the sixth episod of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' first season, the cold open starts backstage at the play Miss Fisher is attending with Dot for her birthday, Gilbert & Sullivan's Ruddygore (or The Witch's Curse). Actor Walter Copland (Peter Cousens), who stars in the show as Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, has just exited Stage Left, where the dresser Hansen (James Pratt) awaits. There, he's confronted with a smell of flowers and a vision of "Dorothea,"  a young soprano who committed suicide on opening night of this very show, 20 years ago. She vanishes immediately, leaving only a note: "You will pay for your sins."

Fisher got free tickets from producer Bart Tarrant (Bille Brown), who admits he hopes Fisher will take the ghost case. Dot is more interested in "rising star" Gwilym Evans (Alex Rathgeber), who plays hero Richard Dauntless. Copland, Fisher learns, was set upon by thugs on his way in, and Tarrant introduces her to Lin Chung (Philippe Sung), who sprung to the rescue. Once the show gets going, it turns out it's a good thing Fisher invited Collins too. He didn't show, but instead sent Robinson in his stead. Poor Robinson is at sea following the plot but understands perfectly well when Copland drops dead on stage, poisoned.

Dot's Evans fandom is handy, as she also knows Copland was engaged to the production's leading lady, Leila (Christie Whelan Browne). Considering how indifferent Leila was to Copland's collapse, Robinson and Fisher question her only to learn it was a showmance: Walter's idea to sell tickets. She was keen to help since the production was her idea in the first place. (She wrote to Tarrant in London to come to Melbourne to direct it.)