Underbelly: Razor
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | August 21, 2011 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Crime drama television series |
Underbelly: Razor, the fourth installment in the Australian Nine Network crime drama anthology Underbelly, was broadcast from 21 August to 6 November 2011. This thirteen-episode series depicts true incidents in Sydney spanning 1927 to 1936, highlighting the "razor gangs" that controlled the city's criminal landscape and the fierce rivalry between vice queens Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh. Unlike previous seasons inspired by John Silvester and Andrew Rule's works, Razor is based on Larry Writer's Ned Kelly Award-winning book of the same title.
Synopsis
Set against the backdrop of the "Roaring Twenties" and 1930s, primarily between 1927 and 1936, Razor delves into the emergence of organised crime in Sydney. The story focuses on the violent conflict between vice queens Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh, as well as the razor gangs dominating the underworld. Additionally, it follows the experiences of a young police force and Nellie Cameron’s transformation into one of Australia's most notorious prostitutes.
Episodes
Principal cast
- Danielle Cormack portrays Kate Leigh, the cunning sly-grog queen and adversary of the Devines
- Chelsie Preston Crayford appears as Tilly Devine, a brothel proprietor
- Anna McGahan plays Nellie Cameron, a notorious prostitute entangled in the violent events of the period
- Jack Campbell takes on the role of "Big Jim" Devine, husband to Tilly Devine
- John Batchelor is Wally Tomlinson, Kate Leigh’s business partner and romantic interest
- Khan Chittenden as Frank "The Little Gunman" Green, a criminal and hitman
- Richard Brancatisano portrays Guido Calletti, a feared figure in gangland and Nellie Cameron’s first spouse
- Craig Hall as Detective Inspector Bill Mackay, part of the young police contingent
- Lucy Wigmore as Lillian May Armfield, one of Australia’s pioneering female police officers
- Steve Le Marquand plays Sergeant Tom Wickham, a member of New South Wales’ inaugural drug squad
Recurring and guest appearances
- Jeremy Lindsay Taylor as Norman Bruhn, an intimidating enforcer
- Justin Rosniak portrays Leslie "Squizzy" Taylor, Bruhn’s rival based in Melbourne
- Felix Williamson as Phil "The Jew" Jeffs, a notorious gangster
- Lincoln Lewis as Bruce Higgs, an associate and lover of Kate Leigh
- Pippa Grandison plays Mona Woods, a singer performing at Kate Leigh’s sly-grog establishments
- Catherine Glavicic as May Seckold, an employee under Kate Leigh
- Conrad Coleby as Constable Wharton "Syd" Thompson, an early member of Sydney’s drug squad
- Guy Edmonds portrays Greg "The Gunman" Gaffney, an associate of vice-queen Kate Leigh
- David Willis as Bill "The Octopus" Flanagan, working with Kate Leigh
- Rel Hunt as William Archer, proprietor of a bathhouse and member of razor gangs
- Matt Boesenberg plays John "Snowy" Cutmore, a standover man
- Adam Tuominen as Frank "Razor Jack" Hayes, part of Bruhn’s gang
- Pacharo Mzembe as "Nugget", a gangster (name originally altered from a racial slur)
- Jessica Mauboy portrays Gloria Starr, singer at the Fifty-Fifty Club
- Rob Mills as Eric Connolly, jazz club vocalist
- Saskia Burmeister plays Ida Maddocks, key witness in the Darlinghurst Outrage case
- Emily Rose Brennan as "Black" Aggie, Tilly Devine’s prostitute who partners with Greg Gaffney
- Rick Donald portrays Barney Dalton, rugby player employed by Kate Leigh and killed by Frank Green
- Guy Spence and Clint Foster as Sid "Kicker" Kelly and Tom Kelly, brothers involved in crime
- Caleb Alloway as Constable Keith Sullivan, law enforcement officer
- T.J. Power as H. L Jones, journalist
- Anna Lawrence plays Irene Bruhn, wife of Norman Bruhn
- Tasman and Rex Palazzi appear as Noel and Keith Bruhn, sons of Norman Bruhn
- Grant Garland portrays Charles Connors, gangster and razor man
- Izzy Stevens as Eileen Leigh, daughter of Kate Leigh
- Jamie Kristian plays Albert Duke, husband to Eileen Leigh
- Troy Planet as George "The Midnight Raper" Wallace, violent gang member
- Jake Ryan appears as Constable Ray "The Blizzard" Blissett, determined policeman
- Felix Jozeps portrays Ernest Wilson, driver for Phil Jeffs
- Kim Knuckey as Fred Moffitt, taxi driver
- Rachel Rowlatt plays Phyllis, housekeeper for the Devines household
- Adele Vuko and Kelly Anderson portray Gwynnie and Peg, prostitutes working under Tilly Devine
- Ben Purser as Herbert "Pal" Brown, lieutenant to Kate Leigh
- Larry Writer plays a wealthy businessman frequenting Kate Leigh’s night venues
- Daniel Matthew Beltran and James Pope appear as Percy Cook and John "Snowy" Prendergast, gang members
- Ky Baldwin portrays Eddie "the Urchin", lookout for Kate Leigh
- Don Rogers and William Upjohn play Edward Brady (small-time criminal) and Roy the Butcher (barman at sly grog shop), respectively
- Will Ward and Mehmet Yanuz appear respectively as Ralph the Barman and Rabbitoh (rabbit seller)
- Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood plays Dolly Green, wife of Frank Green
- Lizzie Schebesta portrays Dulcie Markham, moll to Guido Calletti
- David Roberts appears as Frank de Groot, leader of the New Guard
- Jessica De Gouw plays Constable Edie McElroy, one of the early policewomen following Lillian Armfield
- Jim Holt and Graeme Blundell portray Thomas Bavin and Jack Lang respectively, premiers of New South Wales
Ratings
The debut installment of Razor achieved the highest viewership ever recorded for an Australian drama, overtaking the previous benchmark set by Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.
References
| Episode | Original Broadcast Date | Air Time | Audience (millions) |
Timeslot Position | Evening Position | Weekly Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Worst Woman in Sydney" | 21 August 2011 | 8:30 pm Sunday | 2.794 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | "Whips and Scorpions" | 9:30 pm Sunday | 2.084 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| 3 | "Cat Amongst the Pigeons" | 28 August 2011 | 8:30 pm Sunday | 1.760 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | "The Damage Done" | 4 September 2011 | 1.550 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 5 | "The Darlinghurst Outrage" | 11 September 2011 | 1.461 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| 6 | "Blood Alley" | 18 September 2011 | 1.408 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 7 | "Tripe and Brains" | 25 September 2011 | 1.397 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| 8 | "A Big Shivoo" | 2 October 2011 | 1.290 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
| 9 | "The Crash" | 9 October 2011 | 1.282 | 1 | 3 | 8 | |
| 10 | "The Sentimental Bloke" | 16 October 2011 | 1.336 | style= " text- align: center"|1 | style= " text- align: center"|3 | style= " text- align: center"|10 | |
Categories:
- Articles with short description
- Australian television series debuts 2011
- Australian television series conclusions 2011
- Australian television seasons 2011
- Recipients of APRA Awards
- Australian crime drama series of the 2010s
- Australian drama series from the 2010s
- Australian television miniseries of the 2010s
- Nine Network original content
- Television programs set during the 1920s
- Television programs set during the 1930s
- Television productions set in New South Wales
- Sydney organised crime depiction
- Nine Network original programming