Steel Magnolias

The national tour of Steel Magnolias opened in Brisbane last night and the audience could not have been more pleased! In this heartfelt story about the power of women and community, every laugh landed and every tear fell with perfection.

If you are one of the many fans of the Hollywood version of Steel Magnolias, you may ask producers Neil Gooding Productions and Woodward Productions why bother mounting a revival and national tour of Robert Harling’s original 1987 stage play? Well, after hearing the audience reaction, and seeing the play for the first time myself, I can answer your question –the stage play is much better than the film: it focuses all the action on the six female characters, which gives the ensemble of talented performers a chance to really strut their stuff as the leading ladies of Truvy’s Beauty Spot in Chinquapin Parish! The chaotic drama of the film gives way to a gentler paced experience that lets you get to know all the characters and hear every well-crafted line. 

Robert Harling’s story is borne out of real love, inspired by real events and women in his family and their home town community in Louisiana. The American accents are warm and friendly, and tinged with knowing humour – even though their wit, wisdom and wise cracks mask deeply hidden life disappointment, heartbreak and tragedy, the pathos never wins out over the warmth and humour – which gives the six leading actors a lot to play with. Don’t miss the chance to see six brilliant Australian actors work their magic. Where else are you going to see performers of the calibre of this cast working together?

Director Lee Lewis has brought together her dream team: Lisa McCune (M’Lynn); Belinda Giblin (Ouiser); Debra Lawrance (Clairee); Mandy Bishop (Truvy); Jessica Redmayne (Shelby); and Lotte Beckett (Annelle). This is an ensemble where there are absolutely no weak links. Everyone has their chance to shine. I got so many laughs from each of these brilliant performers. Belinda Giblin’s eccentric Ouiser has a few scene-stealing moments, matched by the dry wit of Debra Lawrance’s Clairee. As the older ladies at Truvy’s they add depth and gravitas. The heart of the story is the fraught but moving mother-daughter relationship of Lisa McCune’s M’Lynn and Jessica Redmayne’s Shelby – their performances resonate with complex emotion. Lotte Beckett’s Annelle is quieter but brings out the caring instincts of all the other characters, and she has her own important journey. As the owner of the salon where the action takes place, Mandy Bishop’s Truvy could steal the show with her outrageous fashion sense and Southern quips, but this production has a tight grip on emotional truth. And the cast are simply too experienced to rely on cheap laughs. Their ensemble work is really a joy to behold, with skilled vocal work and stage craft. Steel Magnolias may also be a love letter to the 1980s, but its story is real and not soap drama or parody.