Theatre Review: My Brilliant Career

 The Performance: My Brilliant Career (the Musical)

The Company: Melbourne Theatre Company

The Theatre: Southbank Theatre

Stars: 4.5

Until 21 December

I went into this performance with a sense of trepidation. Generally, I'm not a fan of musicals, nor do I love it when they wreck classics for the sake of art. 

Thankfully, the MTC's reworking of Miles Franklin's beloved novel does not do this at all. They've done a cracking job of taking this wonderful Australian novel and turning into a high energy, feminist slanting musical with a great ensemble cast with tons of entertainment value. 

Making things even more interesting, the fire alarm went off about ten minutes before the interval, the auditorium was evacuated, three fire trucks turned up - but we were let back in about half an hour later to finish the performance. I'm glad we got to see the end of this. This went above and beyond my expectations. 

For those who don't know the story of My Brilliant Career, either read the book or get your hands on the wonderful 1979 film with a very young Judy Davis and Sam Neill. It's wonderful. 

The plot hasn't changed at all. It's nearing the turn of the century and young Sybylla Melvyn (Kala Gare) wants nothing more than to live a life of culture and arts. Instead, she, with her family, are living a hand-to-mouth existence on a failing dairy farm. Her father is drinking, her mother eternally pregnant, and at 17, Sybylla is a drain on the family coffers. Sybylla doesn't want to marry, which was pretty much her only option at the time. However, a compromise is found, and she goes to live with her grandmother, a woman of means. 

While there, she is courted by the dreadful Harry (Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward), before meeting the much more suitable Frank (Raj Labade) with whom she falls in love, not that she knows it. Harry loses his fortune and Sybylla is sent to work as a governess to pay off her father's debt to a neighbour. It is only later that Sybylla learns that her fortitude and kindness put her in good stead. She also works out that she must pursue her life as an artist. 

What got me the most about this production is the high-energy performance that came from the mostly unknown cast. Making things even more amazing, everybody on stage plays an instrument. The cast are the band. The fiddle, cello, double bass, a couple of keyboards, a couple of guitars, a bloke on the drums and a percussionist. They not only play in the band but sing and act. 

The story has been adapted to the stage by Sheridan Harbridge, who has starred in the MTC productions including Prima Facie and North by Northwest. She's done an amazing job. The music was composed by Matthew Frank and the lyrics developed by Dean Bryant, another MTC stalwart. Anne Louise Sarks direction is punchy, but allows for the reflective nature of the material, where women had next to no options, and life was hard for most. 

Despite the evacuation, and having to take up the action just as a crucial ball scene was about to play out, and where the cast took up the action when we came back (and it felt they lost a bit of pace) the second act was back at the pace where we were before they turfed us out on the street for half an hour. Thankfully, they cut the interval to 10 minutes to get a bit of time back. 

There was a long-standing ovation at the end of the night. The cast earned it. 

This production reminded me a little of Come From Away. It's got that plucky, country enthusiasm about it that makes you think, but also makes you feel good. 

This comes highly recommended. Tickets are a bit hard to find - indeed, they may extend this into the new year if you're lucky. If the sold-out auditorium on a Friday night this side of Christmas is anything to go by, beg, borrow, steal or buy your way to see this. 

It's wonderful. 

(And revisit the original 1979 movie and swoon over Sam Neill. You can rent it through the streaming services, of if SBS is feeling generous they might put it on rotation again.)

Today's song: