What's On

Shark Arm Case
 

An immersive murder mystery, live in the Justice & Police Museum!

Sydney’s bizarre and infamous true crime is brought to life in Shark Arm Case, an immersive murder mystery at the historic, 170-year-old Justice & Police Museum near Circular Quay.

Written by Kyla Lee Ward, this gripping theatrical event revisits the real events of 1935, when a tiger shark in Coogee Aquarium famously regurgitated a human arm bearing a distinctive tattoo.

Audiences will step into the murky underworld of 1930s Sydney, where smuggling, insurance fraud and cold-blooded murder intertwine.

As the case unravels, meet a cast of compelling characters including Detective Sergeant Frank Matthews, underworld figures, and the wives of key suspects.  

Blending immersive storytelling with live theatre, Shark Arm Case invites participants to explore the Museum’s spaces while uncovering clues in a thrilling recreation of one of Australia’s most perplexing unsolved crimes.

Dates: 14 to 30 August 2025 (Thurs, Fri and Sat evenings)
Session times: 6.30pm and 8pm each evening
Location: Justice & Police Museum, Cnr Phillip St and Albert St, Sydney
Duration: 60 minutes
Age recommendation: 16+

 

Event details

Venue: Justice & Police Museum, Cnr Phillip St and Albert St, Sydney
Bookings: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/shark-arm-case-tickets-1377222512609?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Start Date: Thursday 14 August 2025

 

Find more events in Sydney»

Disclaimer: Australian Stage takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided in event listings. You are advised to confirm performance dates/times with the company and/or venue before purchasing tickets.

Most read reviews

  • Retrograde | Melbourne Theatre Company
    Retrograde | Melbourne Theatre Company
    The script is based on a true story, although this dramatisation can feel somewhat contrived, with important assertions not interrogated, and credibility stretched as a result.
  • Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet
    Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet
    To Shakespeare’s text be true is the obvious goal here, and writer, director and actor have each scored.
  • The First Murder | Pinchgut Opera
    The First Murder | Pinchgut Opera
    In the care of Pinchgut Opera’s director, Erin Helyard, this music, formulaic as it indeed is in some respects, sprang off the page into an experience rich in emotions.
  • Sheltering | Bangarra
    Sheltering | Bangarra
    Even when individual works did not fully land for me dramaturgically, there is no denying the precision, intelligence and care of the artists creating them.
  • Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Redfern Lane Productions
    Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Redfern Lane Productions
    Unabashedly and unapologetically entertaining, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels delights in its hoax hokum, a whimsical hustle of musical comedy bustle.