Sydney Reviews

My Brilliant Career is another career highlight in the brilliant career of Sheridan Harbridge. Hot on the heels of her homage to Chrissy Amphlett in Amplified, soon to be remounted at the Seymour Centre after a sold out season at Belvoir, comes the Sydney presentation of My Brilliant Career, the book for which she has co-written with Dean Bryant. Based on the novel by Miles Franklin, this show is, frankly, brilliant.

Added to the brilliance of Harbridge’s concept, the music by Mathew Frank and lyrics by Dean Bryant, My Brilliant Career careers into musical masterpiece.

An amazing company of fine singer actor musicians give brilliant career high performances, embracing and enhancing the grace and boldness of the book, the music and the lyrics.

Kala Gare as Sybylla is a knockout, skipping and roaming about the stage, climbing pianos, cartwheeling and hurdling chairs, a funnel to the heart and the funny bone, an artful spontaneity, in a technique that’s informal, in effect, profound. Breaking glass ceilings and fourth walls in boundless glee it is a formidable performance.

And she is not alone. The entire ensemble energises every moment of this musical.

Raj Labade, gives a whip cracking, guitar strumming, Sybylla smitten performance as Harry who will gladly give his heart to have her hand. Trouble is, product of the patriarchy, his love is a lot about possession. Drew Livingston as Father and M’Swat juggles the jolly and the joyful with the grim and the grievous, singing, strumming, strutting, totally endearing. 

Meg McKibbin, regular understudy as Mother and Mrs M’Swat and Aunty Helen is more than up to taking on the challenge. Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward as the gormless Frank but an absolute bugger on the bass.

Rounding out this excellent ensemble, Lincoln Elliott as Jimmy and the brat M’Swat, Melanie Bird as Gertie and Blanche, Ana Mitsikas as Grannie, and Jarrad Payne in fine fettle with drum kit and caboodle, while the incomparable Victoria Falconer, roving musical director, fit with a fiddle, shepherding and sharing in the sheer showmanship of this show.

Director Anne-Louise Sarks has created a landmark production, a mega jewel of a show, with energy and passion by the mega joule, a flawless gem with a wattage of wit, vim and wisdom.

The wow factor is across all facets of My Brilliant Career – crack choreography by Amy Campbell, a stupendous set and costume design by Marg Horwell and exceptional lighting design by Matt Scott.

My Brilliant Career is a musical seriously involved with an adult subject. Based on an Australian literature classic, it is destined to become an Australian theatrical classic.

Brilliant in every capacity, My Brilliant Career is sure to leave audiences searching for superlatives.