It’s bad enough being born a girl…but being born ugly and clever…
An Australian musical is a rarity. Anyone who has written one will tell you it’s hard to find funding and if you succeed, it’s hard to sell a ticket. My Brilliant Career at the Melbourne Theatre Company might prove to be different. If a musical reimagining of Miles Franklin’s classic novel doesn’t get you to buy a ticket, then perhaps memories of the 1979 film adaptation starring Judy Davis and Sam Neill, a true-blue Aussie classic, will seal the deal. The Melbourne Theatre Company is banking on both.
This musical adaptation, crafted by Mathew Frank and Dean Bryant, certainly brings something unexpected. It’s not a stodgy period piece but a bush-pub-rock musical, told from a modern viewpoint, about a headstrong girl, Sybylla Melvyn, who dreams of being a writer while living in the Australian bush. But wait, there’s more! Sybylla is physically nothing like the character in the book or Judy Davis’ portrayal in the film. Instead, she resembles a bleached blonde Amy Shark, belting out numbers while standing on top of a revolving piano. I guess the question is, does this contemporary depiction of 19th-century rural Australia work?
I’ll be honest, it took a while to feel relaxed with the characters during the preview performance; the modern-esque dialogue I wasn’t expecting. But once I surrendered to the style and gave myself over to the musical score and the talented ensemble in full view on stage, I was all in. The lead role of Sybylla is played by Kala Gare, a VCA graduate known for her role as Anne Boleyn in the musical Six. Gare’s performance is both brazen and audacious. Sybylla is not a likable character, and Gare works hard to keep the audience on her side, and for the most part, she succeeds. Gare is at her best when singing heartfelt numbers like “Someone Like Me” and “In The Wrong Key.” The sound of her Aussie accent gives the songs an authenticity that you don’t get from the polished sound of a Disney princess belting out “Let It Go,” a generic sound distinctly American. There’s something unique about the Aussie accent, and its musicality is fully on show here along with a larrikin sense of humour.
The ensemble, a bloody talented lot of actor-musicians, including Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, Lincoln Elliott, Drew Livingstone, HaNy Lee, Ana Mitsikas, Christina O’Neill, and Jarrad Payne, each member playing instruments live and singing, and contributing to the soundscape of the production. Although we are told several times by Sybylla during the performance that “this is not a love story,” the all-important love interest, Harry, is played by Raj Labade, and he does a commendable job and was a crowd favourite.
The barren set design by Marg Horwell worried me at first, but as Sybylla’s life shifts and changes, the set gradually warms up and becomes more colourful, eventually suggesting an Australia with added vibrancy, blue skies, flowers and sparkle. Anne-Louise Sarks‘s direction is simple and uncluttered, relying on umbrellas and step ladders to suggest a change of scene and movement to convey riding horses. While there were hiccups on the night, some of the acting was uneven, Victoria Falconer‘s musical direction was solid, even at this early stage.
My Brilliant Career takes audiences on a wild journey through Sybylla’s imagination, from the Australian bush to the opulence of high society, in and out of love and back again. While it is not a love story, the attraction between the two lead characters, Sybylla and Harry, holds the most interest for the audience. If I had to nitpick, Harry’s entrance in Act One should have come a little sooner, as he is the only character, apart from Sybylla, who holds his own on stage as a three-dimensional figure. The other characters, Frank, Jimmy, Gertie, Mother, and Father, are there for decoration and flavour, and to move Sybylla’s story of her brilliant career along.
Overall, My Brilliant Career is a must-see for fans of musical theatre. It is sung well with energetic choreography, and captures the essence of Franklin’s novel while giving it a kick up the backside with a modern sensibility. This resonated with me, but it might not appeal to lovers of the novel or the film. At the performance I attended, the audience gave the show a standing ovation. That adoration doesn’t come easily for Australian musicals, so the company has done a bloody good job! To them, I say, “You bewdy.” My Brilliant Career reminded me of notable Aussie musicals from the past, like The Venetian Twins and the ’80s film Starstruck, and is sure to sell out, so get your tickets now.
In the Wrong Key from My Brilliant Career
More Info: https://linktr.ee/noelanderson
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