Powerful and moving – Julia is an exceptional piece of theatre
Presented by: State Theatre Company South Australia in association with The University of Adelaide presents A Sydney Theatre Company and Canberra Theatre Centre production
Reviewed: 17 August, 2024
Powerful and moving – State Theatre Company South Australia’s latest offering is a brilliant piece of theatre that will have a lasting impression on audiences long after they leave the theatre.
Julia, written by Joanna Murray-Smith, is about Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. It focuses on Prime Minister Gillard’s early life, rise to politics and, of course, her famous 2012 misogyny speech. Murray-Smith’s script is excellent. It draws on the key moments of Gillard’s life as a savvy political operator, and is full of wit, humour and at the centre of it, Gillard’s drive and determination.
Justine Clarke is magnificent. Clarke is a tour-de-force as Julia Gillard. She has drawn on the dramatic and emotional elements of Murray-Smith’s script to perfectly craft her performance. From the first moment Clarke steps onto the stage, she commands the audience’s attention. For the entire 90 minutes Clarke never leaves the stage and takes the audience on an incredible journey. Clarke has captured all of Gillard’s mannerisms perfectly. The magic of Clarke’s performance lies in how she delivers the script. The tone of her voice changes and the ‘Gillard voice’ only shows when Clarke is directly quoting the Prime Minister herself. Clarke’s imitation of Tony Abbot’s smug face and grin brings the house down.
Julia opens with Clarke, as herself, delivering a plot-setting monologue that details the mindset of Prime Minister Julia Gillard in those few moments before her famous misogyny speech on 9th October 2012. It then jumps back to Gillard’s early life, the beginnings of her career and then her time in politics. The play ends with the entire misogyny speech, expertly delivered by Clarke, complete with Gillard’s little throat-clearing coughs. Clarke is such a breath-taking performer and it is an honour to have the opportunity to be able to witness her at work.
Jessica Bentley plays a mostly silent support character. Billed as ‘Young Woman’, Bentley’s presence is always there, on the sidelines watching Gillard, acting as not only the general public always watching Gillard, but every woman witnessing Gillard’s achievements in the face of the intense sexism of the political realm. It’s not easy to play an almost invisible role, but it’s pivotal to the show and also assists with the movement of props and costume changes for Clarke.
All other elements of Julia work in perfect accompaniment to the rest of the production. The set, which is mostly made of a centre square mat, an oval of light suspended above the stage and two screens that are either blank or project subtle supportive imagery allow Clarke to work the audience’s imagination through the script. The two screens also allow constant reflection of Clarke on the stage — highlighting that Gillard’s life was always watched and reported. Alexander Berlage’s lighting design is also brilliant, and never detracts from Clarke’s masterful work.
Julia is an exceptional piece of theatre. It not only highlights how far we have come as a society in the never-ending fight for equality, but how far we still have to go. This is a timely piece of theatre delivered by two exceptional artists.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Prudence Upton
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: Until 31 August, 2024
Duration: 90mins (no interval)
Tickets:
MATINEES: Adult $99 , Concession $79 , Under 30/Student $39.00
EVENINGS: Adult $109 , Concession $89.00 , Under 30/Student $39.00
Bookings: https://statetheatrecompany.com.au/shows/julia/
More News
