REVIEW: Carmel Dean's WELL-BEHAVED WOMEN Receives An Encore Season At Belvoir Theatre

Thursday 3rd October 2024,7:30pm, Belvoir St Theatre

Following a successful but short 2021 season, Carmel Dean’s song cycle WELL-BEHAVED WOMEN receives an encore season at Belvoir St Theatre.  Director Blazey Best reunites her original quartet of singers for a reimagined performance that utilizes the larger corner stage at Belvoir St. 

/sydney/article/BWW-REVIEW-Carmel-Deans-WELL-BEHAVED-WOMEN-Raises-The-Roof-As-The-Stories-Of-Significant-Women-Through-History-Are-Shared-In-Song-20210327

In January of 2020, New York based Australian composer and lyricist Carmel Dean debuted her song cycle imagining of what iconic women from history and the present day would sound like if they sang.  A one night only engagement at Joe’s Pub in New York saw Broadway’s leading ladies bring the stories of Frida Kahlo, Billie Jean King, Malala Yousafzai, Cleopatra, Eve and Mary Magdelene, plus more, to life.  In 2021, producer Michelle Guthrie bought the song cycle to Sydney audiences with Blazey Best at the helm with Stefanie Caccamo, Zahara Newman, Elenoa Rokobaro and Ursula Yovich sharing the many and varied stories. For 2024, Best uses much of her original concept with expanded staging, designed by Grace Deacon, due to the larger space, employing a tiered stage and multiple screens which provide a brief introduction or animation for most of the women featured.  Best also engages a new four piece band, led by Musical director David Gardos on keys, with Seb Bartels on Guitars, Ali Foster on Percussion and Sara Homeh on Bass which, along with Kelsey Lee as lighting designer and Tom Brickhill as sound designer is a shift from the all-female team engaged for the 2021 season.   For the night reviewed, Sarah Murr replaced Ursula Yovich which also appeared to cause an adjustment to the song list as Cathy Freeman’s song, “You Were There”, listed in the programme, was omitted.

While some audiences that didn’t have the opportunity to experience the 2021 Hayes season may be familiar with the Studio Recording, this Australian production incorporates more Australian women like our first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Australia’s first two female Olympic swimming representatives Fanny Durack and Mina Wylie, and Australian activist and advocate for survivors of sexual assault and 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame with the inclusion of Tame’s song indicating that Dean is not finished creating her song cycle, opening the opportunity for future iterations of WELL-BEHAVED WOMEN.

As with the 2021 season, the stories are given life and individuality by the four powerhouse performers.  Zahara Newman has a gravitas paired with sensitivity. Elenoa Rokobaro has a fierce gritty strength. Stefanie Caccamo has a brilliant comic timing and playfulness.  Sarah Murr has a bold but subtle power.  All have bold voices that deliver the songs with understanding and a strong sense of storytelling to ensure the challenges the women have overcome are clear as it is reinforced that the stores are about women from all backgrounds and social standings. 

As previously reviewed in 2021, WELL-BEHAVED WOMEN is still a wonderful battle cry to inspire modern generations to continue the fight to break down barriers that hold women back.  It is still as important as was when Dean started her project to write about the women that refused to be ‘well behaved’ but instead stood up, spoke out and sought change, WELL-BEHAVED WOMEN is a powerful celebration of women and an important message to those that still don’t understand the place that women have in creating a modern world.  As stated in the 2021iew, hopefully this work will also have a national tour or be programmed in the cabaret festivals in each state as it is an important collection of stories told in an enjoyable and enlightening easy night of entertainment that conveys its message without being overly pushy, but in the meantime, go see this production at Belvoir. 

https://belvoir.com.au/productions/well-behaved-women/

Photos: Brett Boardman

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