Julia, MTC REVIEW 4 June 2024 ***1/2

 

THEATRE

Written by Joanna Murray-Smith, presented by Melbourne Theatre Company, production by Sydney Theatre Company & Canberra Theatre Centre co-production

At MTC, Sumner, Southbank Theatre until 13 July 2024

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: ***1/2 (3.5)

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 15 June 2024. KH

Justine Clarke in Julia- image by Prue Upton

 

Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech on 9 October 2012 was an unforgettable piece of extemporised political debate is incisive, informed, accurate and a laudable dissection of the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott’s frequent sexist and misogynistic comments over the previous years.

 

This speech is delivered in full by Justine Clarke at the end of Joanna Murray Smith’s play, Julia. Its impassioned and precise content, and Clarke‘s thrilling and audacious delivery of it, brought the opening night crowd spontaneously to its feet in an ovation for Gillard, her speech and Clarke.

 

This was not an ovation for the production itself – although the show is strong enough – but for the speech, Clarke’s  performance of it, and its placement as a momentous ending. During the play, we spend a great deal of time waiting for these most dramatic moments.

 

Murray Smith’s Julia is a smart, witty, one-person play with a non-linear narrative comprising episodes, characters and interactions from Gillard’s life woven into a coherent whole.

 

The fictionalisation of Gillard’s life is an extrapolation on stories, biographies, articles and her own comments. Essentially, it follows Gillard’s unexceptional persona and professional life until she became Prime Minister. After that elevation, she became a controversial figure and, finally, an iconic, powerful woman and a torchbearer for feminism when she delivered that exceptional misogyny speech.

 

Sarah Goodes’ direction is swift and deft, focussing on the character of Gillard, Murray Smith’s brisk humour and political commentary.

 

Clarke’s performance is compelling and masterly, as she shifts from Julia as an ambitious and intelligent teenager with a talent for debating, to a successful lawyer, a powerful member of the Labor Party and Member of Parliament and, finally, Prime Minister after she topples Kevin Rudd.

 

Clarke shifts in and out of direct address to audience in what is not an impersonation of Gillard but a representation of her behaviour, and her career highlights.

 

Intermittently, Clarke’s voice shifts to a direct imitation of Gillard’s recognisable broad Aussie vowels and twang but these moments are peppered throughout. This avoids any impersonation which was a feature of Heather Mitchell’s performance in RBG.

 

One weak element is the tokenistic presence of a second, younger woman (Jessica Bentley) whose role is extraneous and distracting as she trails around the stage in Clarke’s wake, perhaps representing young women in politics and society. The rear projection of video of young  people was also a distraction.

 

Despite these awkward and unnecessary elements, Julia is an engaging production with a fine performance by Clarke and the final misogyny speech is worth the ticket.

 

by Kate Herbert