In the landscape of Australian theatre, truly successful homegrown musicals can feel as mythical as the bunyip. But the creative team behind My Brilliant Career, a captivating new adaptation of Miles Franklin’s seminal novel, may have just birthed the next great Aussie musical hit.
A Thoroughly Modern Sybylla
Bringing a beloved period novel to the modern stage is no easy feat, especially one with as indelible a heroine as Sybylla Melvyn. She’s a young woman determined to become a writer, even if it means turning down perfectly respectable marriage proposals. While Sybylla’s headstrong ways may have shocked readers in 1901, the challenge today is making her struggles feel relevant and fresh.
Thankfully, in the capable hands of book writers Sheridan Harbridge and Dean Bryant, Sybylla emerges as an utterly contemporary, relatable, and endearing character. Their anachronistic approach, combined with Mathew Frank’s diverse musical stylings (ranging from pub rock to hip-hop), allows Sybylla to burst off the stage with the same vivacity she does from the page.
Kala Gare Lights Up the Stage
Of course, a musical lives and dies on the strength of its lead, and here My Brilliant Career has struck gold with Kala Gare. From her opening number, a defiant pub rock anthem aimed squarely at the audience, Gare cements herself as a bona fide star. She imbues Sybylla with grit, vulnerability, and an indefatigable lust for life.
Gare is a total powerhouse, lighting the stage like a grand, undying flare.
Whether she’s swatting away bush flies or swooning over a good book, Gare’s Sybylla is impossible not to root for. Her soaring vocals navigate the score’s trickier passages with ease, and her chemistry with love interest Harry Beecham (a dreamy Raj Labade) is palpable.
A Vivacious Supporting Cast
Not a weak link can be found in the supporting ensemble. Special mention must go to Christina O’Neill, who brings great warmth and weariness to her dual roles as Sybylla’s mother and aunt. HaNy Lee also delights in her contrasting turns as tremulous sister Gertie and saucy Melbourne seductress Blanche.
The hijinks with the unruly M’Swat children, whom Sybylla briefly serves as governess to, provide some of the musical’s most uproarious moments. Lincoln Elliott is a particular standout as Jimmy, the surliest of the bunch.
Lush Design Captures a Bygone Era
Marg Horwell’s set and costume design is a feast for the senses, effortlessly conjuring the textures of bush life and gentrified Melbourne society. Coupled with Matt Scott’s sumptuous lighting, the stage becomes a jewel box of Australiana.
Director Anne-Louise Sarks deserves immense credit for the cohesion on display. My Brilliant Career balances its shifting tones and styles with impressive dexterity, the creative elements intertwining in a most satisfying way.
A Brilliantly Feminist Musical
What’s most thrilling about My Brilliant Career is how it reclaims and reinvigorates Miles Franklin’s protofeminist spirit for a new generation. In Sybylla, we have a heroine who not only rejects the trappings of conventional womanhood but does so with unbridled, infectious joy. When she looks to the audience and beckons us to imagine a different, less “mired” future, it feels revolutionary.
Witnessing such a diverse, talented Australian cast give life to this iconic story is similarly inspiring. It’s a pointed reminder of how far we’ve come, and how far we’ve yet to go.
All told, My Brilliant Career isn’t just a resounding success but a vital shot in the arm for Australian musical theatre. With any luck, it will enjoy a long life beyond its Melbourne Theatre Company debut. This is the kind of show that deserves to be seen and celebrated far and wide, much like its unstoppable heroine.
