In October 2012, incensed by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s accusation of sexism, then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard stood up in the Australian Parliament and spoke eloquently and continuously for 15 minutes about why the opposition leader was himself guilty of gross misogyny and sexism, giving multiple examples. In the 11 years since, that speech has been watched millions of times around the world and has been hailed as one of the best political speeches in modern history. Heck, I even have a tea towel of it.
Playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, intrigued by Gillard’s impassioned speech and by the woman who, as a public figure, never gave away more of herself than she absolutely had to, has created a play, Julia, that looks at Gillard’s childhood, teen years and rise to the top of the Labor party.
Justine Clarke plays Julia, supported by Jessica Bentley – who silently depicts a younger Julia, her conscience, and future generations of Australian women onstage. Clarke is narrator, as well as portraying both Gillard and other pivotal people in her life such as her Welsh coalminer father and the mother of a school friend who encourages her to aim higher in her future career.
It should be noted that Gillard herself has not played any role in or endorsed the play, but neither did she oppose it. A dramatic re-imagining might best describe the work although Murray-Smith never makes any significant assumptions or huge leaps of creativity beyond what is generally known.
For those who are familiar with Gillard’s life story, there are not many surprises but it does bring you along on a wave of admiration for the daughter of immigrants who endured often sexist treatment from the Australian media to become Australia’s first (and so far, only) female prime minister. As PM, Gillard had the highest rate of passing legislation of any leader before or after her, achieving an impressive 570 bills in her three years in office, including the introduction of the NDIS.
It is a difficult task for an actor to command the stage and hold an audience’s attention by themselves for 90 minutes but there is no doubt that Clarke achieves this. A veteran of Australian stage and screen (many of us loved her as a Play School favourite but she also shone in series such as Tangle and The Time of our Lives), Clarke confidently leads the audience to the play’s climax, when she at last dons a red wig and 90s-style blazer and drops fully into the accent that many found so grating. I closed my eyes and it could have been Gillard speaking but more than that, Clarke delivers the monologue with a passion fitting to its original circumstances. A standing ovation was her reward.
Julia
Sydney Opera House
31 March – 20 May, 2023
sydneytheatre.com.au
