Steel Magnolias is a work that many associate with the 1989 film starring Sally Field and Dolly Parton, which is a seminal film which is a wonderful ode to friendship. A play of the same subject matter has made its way to Australia as part of a production at the Theatre Royal Sydney and is touring nationally as part of a big-budget tour led by Neil Gooding Productions and Woodward Productions, who have produced some phenomenal work recently.

Set in Louisiana, the play centres around Truvy’s beauty salon, where a group of six women come in and out of the space to share their lives, joys and struggles with each other. The salon itself becomes a place of friendship and community, with years of life unfolding within its walls. The action begins when Truvy hires a new stylist for the salon, Annelle, who does the hair of Shelby, who is preparing for her wedding. Shelby’s mum, M’Lynn, is also a regular at the salon and she is worried about her daughter, who has Type 1 diabetes and has been advised that she should not have children. The cast is rounded out by Clairee and Ouiser, who bring both light and cynicism to the gatherings respectively.

At first, the show is largely focused on the hiring of Annelle and the conversational humour between the women but it quickly takes a turn as the reality of Shelby’s predicament becomes more clear and eventually the timbre of the show shifts entirely towards tragedy and grief, moving from something initially quite humorous to something poignant and powerful. The balance between comedy and heartbreak is particularly effective, with the humour often feeling like a shield for the deeper emotions simmering underneath.

Mandy Bishop is exceptional as Truvy, carrying the show with a strong Southern charm and emotional power. Jessica Redmayne is also extremely strong as Shelby, while Lisa McCune steals the show as Shelby’s mother, bringing a dryness to the role that turns into a really interesting manifestation of grief by the end of the show. Debra Lawrance and Belinda Giblin are also fantastic as Clairee and Ouiser, with initial humour turning into compassion as the play progresses. The ensemble chemistry between the cast is especially strong, making the friendships feel very authentic throughout. Simone Romaniuk does an exceptional job portraying an ’80s salon, with the brightness and glitziness contrasting the increasingly dark subject matter while also evoking a nostalgic sense of time and place.

This play isn’t one that is necessarily surprising, with the eventual conclusions being quite predictable, but where it shines is in its second act, where the exploration of grief really comes to the fore. The first act is a little slow, with some of the humour becoming repetitive but the second act is so strong and poignant that it really hits a chord with the audience, leading to a wonderful ovation on opening night. Especially notable is the subtlety of the acting and writing, where the grief isn’t visceral but rather sneaks up in an unassuming way and the reactions feel very human, making the friendship that follows especially special. The production also deserves credit for its restraint, never pushing the emotional moments too far into melodrama. Jennifer White’s dialect coaching was also fantastic, with the Southern accents being maintained well throughout the play, something that can often falter in these types of shows.

Overall, this is a wonderful play that explores grief, friendship and community in a powerful way. The first act is a little slow, but in the second act it becomes so powerful and poignant, with such phenomenal acting, that this play really does feel special. This is a winner and one that will please a lot of crowds. With a star-studded cast and great execution, it is a show not to miss.

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Steel Magnolias plays at the Theatre Royal until 30 May before touring nationally. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Brett Boardman