Joanna Murray-Smith’s Bombshells has been around for a while. Since premiering at The Melbourne Theatre Company in 2001 starring Caroline O’Connor, the play has been produced to great acclaim multiple times both at home and abroad. This latest touring production stars the immensely talented Christen O’Leary, who previously performed in the show for Queensland Theatre Company, and is directed by David Bell. It’s easy to see why Bombshells has proved to be so popular; it’s a riotously entertaining piece of theatre and a star vehicle for the central actor.
Bombshells consists of six separate monologues exploring varied and contrasting characters. The play opens with frazzled mother Meryl taking the audience through her busy day in frenzied almost stream-of-consciousness prose. The audience goes on to meet meek Scottish ‘cactophile’ Tiggy, self-confessed teenage superstar Mary, bogan bride-to-be Theresa, widowed professional reader Winsome and the evening concludes with a performance by troubled has-been diva Zoe.
Murray-Smith’s writing provides pithy and witty insights into the lives of these captivating characters and O’Leary dazzles in her various guises. It’s magical to watch her slip into each role with such confidence and clarity. Armed with a stage full of costumes, chairs, cameras and a single dressing table (Bill Haycock is the set and costume designer) O’Leary tears up the stage with her physicality, particularly during the Meryl and Theresa sequences, and her clear voice delivers the playwright’s dense text with clarity and unwavering conviction. O’Leary’s detailed performance also has some perfectly pitched quieter shades which offer a contrast to the more high-energy moments in Bombshells. Her characterisations of the emotionally fragile Tiggy and sweet natured Winsome are particularly moving.
Bell’s direction is all in service of the text and the actor. There are no distracting bells or whistles and the creative team frames each monologue with a camera flash and a projection of the subsequent photo portrait. O’Leary’s preparations in between character changes are fully observed by the audience while slow fades from David Walters lighting design ensures clear and smooth transitions between scenes.
Bombshells is playing a limited season at the Malthouse so be quick to catch this highly entertaining production featuring a tour de force performance of a cracking Australian play.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Bombshells
By Joanna Murray-Smith
With Christen O’Leary
Malthouse Theatre, Southbank
www,malthousetheatre.com.au
23 – 28 September
