Well-Behaved Women is the latest offering in the Belvoir St Theatre season and is somewhat unique in that it is the only musical that Belvoir is producing this season. The show is not a fully staged musical but more akin to a song cycle, with parallels to shows like Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs for a New World.” The show is comprised of a number of songs which are seemingly disparate, yet are connected by a common theme of charting the stories of a number of notable women through history. 

Composer/lyricist Carmel Dean’s concept is clever and immediately evokes parallels to “Six”, which also confronts issues of female oppression and empowerment. However, the popularity of “Six” is, in no small part, due to its novel plot upon which the performers hook the songs. This musical lacks the same sort of structural cohesion, with the songs connected more by themes than by a clear plot, which makes the production somewhat of a challenge to follow. This is compounded by the experimentation with chronology, with each song focussing on a different historical figure but in a non-chronological way. This makes it harder to chart any sort of linear progression, which makes the key messages harder to take away.

With that said, ultimately, the success of a musical is dependent on the strength of its cast and here, the four performers truly shine. Zahra Newman, fresh off her starring role in Dracula, is phenomenal in about as different a role as there could be. She works through a variety of different roles, showing nuance and passion in her vocal delivery. Her performance of “Fruit Bowl” which channels Julia Gillard is the highlight of the show, with her incredible comedic performance and vocals leaving the audience cheering crazily at the conclusion of the number. 

Stefanie Caccamo is a fantastic communicator, performing her numbers with sensitivity and a great deal of humour. Her performance of “Only Girl at the Table”, embodying The Last Supper is hilarious and evokes a great deal of laughter from the audience. Elenoa Rokobaro also gives a strong and rousing performance, showing off fantastic vocality in her belting range. Standby Sarah Murr, filling in for Ursula Yovich, struggles to have the same impact on the stage but still gives a solid performance given the circumstances. Some more ensemble numbers to showcase the strength of the cast when singing together would certainly be valuable. Overall, the cast is one of the strengths of this production and give life to the production, even when the chronology is sometimes a little too confusing. 

While the cast does a superb job in this production, some elements of the direction and production perhaps require a second thought. Most notably, the decision to not cast Malala Yousafzai in a racially conscious manner is baffling. While suspension of disbelief is a part of this musical and the genre in general, and indeed, this production relies on each performer playing a suite of different characters, completely colour-blind casting, especially when it means that marginalised groups are even less represented, can not only mean that the experience is less authentic but also runs the risk of further marginalising and ostracising diverse communities that are already under-represented in the theatre landscape.

Ultimately, this is a fantastic concept which is superbly executed by the vocalists on stage, who give life to the songs and stories explored in this production. With that said, issues with the chronology and cohesion of the production mean that some of the meaning conveyed through the songs is ultimately lost. The fact that the reviewer is a cisgender male cannot be ignored, and it is for the reason, that the comments made in this review are made after careful consideration. It would therefore be understood if, for future iterations of this production, a preference is given for reviewers with appropriate “lived experience” (noting this has been a very recent issue in the Australian theatre community). However, in this case, the need for a full and frank review is apparent and indeed, this is what the reviewer has sought to achieve. 

Rating: ★★★

Well-Behaved Women plays at the Belvoir St Theatre until 3^rd November. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Brett Boardman