It is incredible to think that it has been nearly ten years since Julia Gillard was Prime Minister. After all, she has become one of Australia’s most well-known Prime Ministers, in no small part due to her iconic, viral speech to Tony Abbott in late 2012. A decade on, Gillard’s story came to life once again in the Drama Theatre of the Opera House, this time in the form of a play. It was a bold choice by the Sydney Theatre Company to take something so modern but, here, it paid off. 

The success of this show largely stemmed from the stunning performance of Justine Clarke, who played the titular role among many others in this predominately one-woman show (although support was ably provided by Jessica Bentley). She allowed us to see inside the mind of Gillard, a protégé from a young age, and how she developed into the Prime Minister that everyone knows. She made the audience feel every moment that she lived and the tension inside her, even at the highest moments, as she grappled with sexism and misogyny that became so prevalent in her rise to the top. 

This culminated with a word-for-word enactment of the famous misogyny speech. Clarke’s delivery was astounding, leaving the audience breathless with her commanding performance. Of course, Clarke had the benefit of brilliant source material to work with, the speech being one of the most powerful pieces of oratory in Australian political history. But, given the familiarity of the audience with the speech, it perhaps meant she had to nail it even more, which she certainly did. 

The audience was completely transfixed, following every word as it was delivered with power, gusto and the emotion that Gillard possessed when she first performed it. Clarke didn’t just portray Gillard, she embodied Gillard and it really showed in her outstanding performance. 

The play itself, written by Joanna Murray-Smith, provided an interesting insight into the world of the notoriously private Gillard that so few are aware of. From her upbringing to the leadership spill that ultimately resulted in her receiving office, there was a lot of ground traversed in the play. At times, the pacing of the show felt slightly off, which meant that Clarke had a tougher job in keeping the story together through these moments. 

It also felt as though the writing lacked a little nuance at times, as while the play deservedly paid homage to Gillard, it glossed over a number of issues that form an integral part of her legacy such as her treatment of asylum seekers and her views on marriage equality. While these issues were touched on, they were largely attributed to being an unfortunate consequence of the job and the politics that surround the job, which arguably deflected a conversation that was there to be had. 

The set was incredible for the show, with the LED screens behind the actors moving from beautiful blue skies to a cacophony of microphones. It really added to the ambiance and made the audience feel as if they were in the room. 

The costuming was also very clever. I initially questioned the decision to not have Clarke use a red wig from the outset but adding the wig at a very late stage of the play meant that the transition into Gillard by Clarke felt more natural and less caricature-like. For the same reason, having Clarke perform Gillard’s internal monologue in her natural accent paid off. 

There’s an argument to be had over whether there was more discussion to be had over the brand of feminism presented in the show and whether more needed to be heard from the voices left out of Gillard’s story. That said, the play provided a largely well-crafted and very interesting insight into a recent period of Australian political history and does so quite effectively. But it was Clarke’s portrayal of Gillard and her poise in the role that makes this play a truly outstanding watch. From start to finish, she nailed every moment in what was arguably a career-defining performance. 

Julia plays until 20th May at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.

Photo credit: Prudence Upton

Rating ★★★★