Theatre Review: RBG: Of Many, One

 The Performance: RBG: Of Many, One by Suzie Miller

The Theatre: The Playhouse, The Arts Centre

Stars: 5

Until 12 May

Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Supreme Court Judge. Woman. Monumental Brain. Mother. Shit Stirer. Wife. Opera fanatic. Iconoclast. Jewish girl from Brooklyn. All round inspiration. 

Ruth Bader Ginsberg, or Kicky to her family, or the Notorious RBG to the zeitgeist is one of those people who was kicking down doors from a young age - and she forgot to stop. Her dissenting voice in the Supreme Court has become legendary. 

Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who died during the last days of Donald Trump's presidency, only to be replaced by Amy Coney Barrett.

In Ruth Bader Ginsberg you have a woman of intelligence, warmth, humour and a sense of justice - a woman who has done more for American civil rights than almost anybody. 

And yes, I've been a fan for years. 

In Suzie Miller's (of Prima Facie fame) play RBG: Of Many, One, Heather Mitchell embodies Ginsberg, from her early days in Brooklyn, to her time at Cornell, Harvard and Columbia Universities, her long and happy marriage to her husband, Marty,  to her time in front of the courts, to her time waiting to hear from various presidents - Clinton who nominated her to the bench, to Obama, who spoke to her about the possibility of resigning, to her dissing of Donald Trump. 

All of this is covered in this one woman play. 

Under Priscilla Jackman's direction, Heather Mitchell embodies RBG with seeming ease. This is a virtuoso performance - an actor in their prime. Out of Miller's wordy script, she lets us see into RBG's life, holding conversations with the people in her life, explaining herself, her decisions and actions. Her impression of Donald Trump is impeccable.

Heather Mitchell is extraordinary. The four curtain calls with standing ovations are testament to this performance. It's second to none. 

This only has a week to run in Melbourne. Beg, borrow, steal or buy a ticket. It's phenomenal, not only as a representation of an enigma, but for the performance on stage. It goes to show what woman on a stage can do. 

And yes, maybe I'm biased. RBG has been a hero of mine for years. God bless her. 

Today's Song: