Bombshells

Bombshells
By Joanna Murray-Smith. Ensemble Theatre, Sydney. Director: Sandra Bates. 14 March – 13 April, 2013

Bombshells is an evening of six short plays, all monologues — think Short & Sweet meets Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads —all delivered by the one necessarily versatile actress. Written by Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith in 2001, the demanding show was made famous when Caroline O’Connor played the six parts at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival before transferring with it to London’s West End.

O’Connor is a tough act to follow, but Sharon Millerchip gives her considerable all to the concept’s acting-singing-dancing demands at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre and was rewarded on opening night with a standing, cheering ovation.

Directed by Sandra Bates in front of an oddly unhelpful setting that resembles a large IKEA wardrobe/cupboard, Millerchip triumphs. She’s at her best as a desperate and distracted young mother of three kids, as a hilarious Western Sydney bride straight out of Kath & Kim, and as an ageing, boozing, Marlene-Dietrich-type cabaret singer on her final Australian tour.

Her appearances in the two plays most indebted to Talking Heads are less successful, perhaps because the texts are overstretched and less convincing, but the Ensemble crowd are enchanted by Millerchip’s transformations. Throughout the evening she remains focussed on giving us the full range of her talents, non-stop, no holds barred; and we love her for it.

She shares the co-choreography credit — mainly for her schoolgirl talent quest improvisation to the theme from Shaft — and shares the stage for the Dietrich play with brilliant pianist Lindsay Partridge.

Frank Hatherley

Images:

Sharon Millerchip as Zoe, with Lindsay Partridge on piano.

(lower) Sharon Millerchip as Theresa. 

Photogrpaher: Steve Lunam

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