This production of Steel Magnolias marries Robert Harling’s witty-yet-heartbreaking script with masterful performances across the board.
Harling based the original 1987 play on his sister Susan, who died from complications related to Type 1 diabetes following the birth of her son. He wrote Steel Magnolias in just ten days while processing his grief to honour not only his sister but also her loving support system of neighbourhood ladies.
Although the star-studded 1989 film adaptation introduced some male characters and expanded the setting beyond Truvy’s Salon, this entire play is performed by six female characters inside said beauty parlour.
Steel Magnolias
- Until 16 August
- Tickets here
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We step back in time to the ‘80s (hello, wedding hair embellished with baby’s breath!), but thanks to Simone Romaniuk’s set and costume design it’s authentic rather than OTT. Changes in the ladies’ hairstyles help to mark the passage of time.
Director Lee Lewis keeps the action moving at a brisk pace. The zingers keep flowing and waves of laughter are constant. Since the salon chairs face the audience, characters are often forward-facing while delivering their dialogue and we become their invisible mirrors.
Gold Logie winner Lisa McCune’s take on matriarch M’Lynn embodies the keeping-up-appearances stoicism that’s typical of women of a certain age. McCune brings a quiet confidence to her character, knowing when to let the other characters shine, which makes her breakdown during the play’s final emotional climax all the more poignant. We notice lots of tear-wiping throughout the auditorium.
Jessica Redmayne brings Julia Roberts-level incandescence to Shelby. Even though doctors have warned Shelby that her Type 1 diabetes makes childbearing dangerous, she still longs for a child: “I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.”
As Truvy (Dolly Parton’s character in the movie), Mandy Bishop is a force, delivering some of the play’s most memorable lines – including “Laughter through tears is my favourite emotion” and “There is no such thing as natural beauty” – with a relaxed Southern cadence that feels lived-in.
Belinda Giblin gives the dog-loving resident curmudgeon Ouiser (pronounced Weezer) plenty of heart. Every punchline lands and her character’s wisecrack,
“I’m not crazy; I’ve just been in a very bad mood for 40 years!”
receives the most LOLs.
Tracy Mann portrays Clairee, the sassy widow, with elegance and flair, and we eagerly anticipate her scenes.
Witnessing Annelle (played by Lotte Beckett) blossom from a shy new kid in town into a cherished member of the Truvy’s salon sisterhood is heartwarming.
We shouldn’t still be jumping up and down about a play featuring an all-female cast in this day and age, yet here we are!
Steel Magnolias reminds us that intergenerational friendships benefit all ages. Keep the tissues handy.
Did you know? Nicole Kidman made her stage debut in the Australian premiere season of Steel Magnolias in 1988.
Steel Magnolias plays at the Athenaeum until 16 August.
