Review: HOUSEWORK at Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Tuesday 11th February 2025.

State Theatre Company of South Australia begins its 2025 season with Emily Steel’s black comedy, Housework, directed by Shannon Rush. Mitchell Butel commissioned this play from Emily Steel before his departure to the Sydney Theatre Company, giving the new Artistic Director, Petra Kalive, a head start to her tenure. Although fictional, it is based on reality. In 2022, Steel spoke to numerous women, working at all levels of politics, about their experiences at a time when Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins were in the news, and sexual improprieties, harassment, and bullying were being exposed as part of the culture at both state and federal levels.

Compared to the current situation in the USA, Australian politics is, to quote Douglas Adams, “mostly harmless”.

Susie Youssef plays Ruth Mandour, a first-term Australian Member of Parliament, formerly a nurse, full of ideals and enthusiasm, and Franca Lafosse is Kelly Sheppard, a naïve, bright-eyed, and energetic junior staffer in Ruth’s Electorate Office who accompanies her to Parliament House, in Canberra, when her media advisor, Ben, played by Benn Welford, falls ill. He opposes it, warning that taking Kelly in his place will be a disaster. Ruth’s experienced but burnt-out Chief of Staff, Anna Cooper, played by Emily Taheny, has the job of trying to keep everything on track, whilst worrying about her daughter being taken to hospital back at home. They need the help of a Minister, Paul, played by Renato Musolino, to get the backing to introduce Ruth’s bill to parliament.

It all begins, as the audience files in and finds their seats, with Sunitra Martinelli as a hardworking cleaner, who appears periodically between scenes. A brief burst of percussion, which also reoccurs between scenes, leads into a rather long first scene between Kelly and Anna. Kelly has an old man on the telephone complaining that his garbage bins were stolen and haven’t been replaced. Anna swings from an initial response that it is a problem for the local council, not for them, to a realisation that the situation could be politicised to make Ruth look good in the press. One would think that cynicism, manipulation of the facts, and the use of the press to influence voters, would be known well enough that this scene might almost be deemed superfluous.

Kelly leaves and Anna enters, announcing that Ben is sick. He arrives, coughing, and she insists he wears a surgical mask. Worried for her own health, she cancels his trip to Canberra with her and, reluctantly, agrees to take Kelly. Illogically, and with no explanation as to why, Anna and Kelly share a room in Canberra. Politicians, let’s face it, are not famous for economising to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

The Minister, Paul, is revealed as a serial sexual predator, using the imminent death of his wife, who has cancer, as a ploy to use sympathy as a tool to seduce women. Sexual politics are more to the fore than the other kind in this play. The three women, at various times, either support or undermine one another. When things begin to fall apart, they call for Ben, who races to Canberra, but he has his own agenda. There are no likeable people in this group, and they get worse as the play develops. Politics, and the pressure cooker of Parliament House, take their toll. Martinelli appears briefly as the Prime Minister, making it clear to Ruth and Anna during their meeting that she wasn’t there and, in fact, wasn’t even in Canberra at the time of this meeting, distancing herself from the unfolding mess, and dropping Paul right in it.

There are twists and turns in all directions in response to the actions and reactions of the protagonists, and their respective fortunes rise and fall. Threats and counter-threats abound. Idealism falls by the wayside and careers are on the line. Integrities are compromised. The longer it goes on, the more it becomes a case of everybody for themselves. Bring them in, chew them up, and spit them out. That’s this view of what is known as the Canberra bubble.

In a short scene at the end, Martinelli again appears as the cleaner, this time with a little bit of dialogue, and humorously explains what it means to her when a government changes hands. The high and mighty do not impress her.

Franca Lafosse portrays Kelly as Ruth’s biggest fan, filled with excitement at being given the opportunity to accompany her to Canberra and to watch her in action. Initially bouncing into action to carry out everything asked of her, even as minor as getting coffee and pastries, Lafosse conveys the changes in Kelly as she sees how her idol reacts to the barriers placed in front of her. Lafosse adds complexity and depth to her character as the Canberra culture has its effect on her.

Susie Youssef, too, shows how Ruth changes and grows as she is forced to change tack at every obstacle placed in front of her, desperately trying to get her bill adopted, gradually becoming more cynical as she encounters the reality of life in politics, and becomes aware of all that is going on behind the scenes.

Emily Taheny’s Anna is a very different case, being a highly experienced parliamentary employee, and ready to deal with just about anything that comes up. Taheny gives her character the strength that the role needs as the rock to which the others cling in times of trouble and uncertainty.

Renato Musolino is every bit the archetypal oily politician, more interested in his own career advancement and perks of the position, legitimate or otherwise, than in representing his constituents, Sunitra Martinelli has considerable presence and gravitas as the Prime Minister who is watching her own back, and Benn Welford presents Ben as comically devious, self-centred, and untrustworthy. Cast members also take on other minor roles as protestors and journalists.

The whole thing takes place on Designer, Ailsa Paterson’s impressive set, a long wall of heavy arches, a cloister, across the rear, and a massive table on a revolve, each move of which signifies a change of location. Lighting Designer, Nigel Levings, has provided another of his well-considered lighting plots to enhance the set and add to the intent of each scene.

This is a good start to Petra Kalive’s leadership and it will be interesting to see what transpires as the season continues

Photography, Matt Byrne.