Bette and Joan explores the lives of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, two of the most well-known performers of all time, centred around the filming of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane in 1962, which was a unique time when the two shared the stage despite a great deal of animosity towards each other. As part of Ensemble Theatre’s 2026 season, the play attempts to go beyond the surface of this relationship and explore the two characters in more detail.

The production team, led by Liesel Badorrek, snared two fine actors to play Crawford and Davis in Lucia Mastrantone and Jeanette Cronin respectively, which was important given that the play relies solely on these two performers with not much of a plot to flesh out the interactions. Indeed, the play relies on a series of flashbacks and recounts from the two stars in order to tell the story and bring out the lives of the two performers. The pair talk about marriages, life as a celebrity, life as a woman and everything in between, as they confront their oft-changing reality.

Playwright Anton Burge constructs a narrative that is quite slow-paced and does tend to drag, but the performances of Mastrantone and Cronin elevate the material. Mastrantone very much gets the curated image of Crawford and her meticulous persona right, while Cronin’s Davis is equally excellent, embodying her larger-than-life persona. The two feed off each other very well and have excellent chemistry, leading to a superb performance in spite of the script’s limitations.

What really elevates this production further is the use of Kip Williams-style videography, with Cameron Smith doing an extraordinary job of piecing together faux-archival footage with the onstage action to really make the performance feel larger than life in the intimate theatre. The acting of Cronin and Mastrantone was so good in parts that it was unclear whether the videos were live or pre-recorded (they were both at various points), but they were an excellent addition to a play that needed something a little extra to take it to the next level.

The lighting of Kelsey Lee and musical compositions of Ross Johnston further elevate the ambience of this production, while Grace Deacon’s simple set serves to accentuate the videography, which really is the highlight of this production alongside the incredible acting of the two leads.

Overall, while this isn’t a play with a huge amount of substance or revelatory thoughts, it is worth watching for the inventive videography of Cameron Smith and the incredible acting performances of Mastrantone and Cronin. The pair really show off what it is to be at the top of their craft and bring life to the characters they’re portraying and to the story. It is particularly pleasing to see Ensemble experimenting with new techniques in their theatre and this will serve them well as the season progresses. Another feather in the bow of Ensemble Theatre.

Rating: ★★★★

Bette and Joan plays at the Ensemble Theatre until 25 April 2026. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Prudence Upton