Top Girls

**BY CARYL CHURCHILL**
Directed by Mikayla Hosking
20th July - 12th August, 2023

Director’s Notes

Early on in this process, I was talking to someone in the industry about “What I’ve been up to?” I mentioned that I was about to direct a play called Top Girls. They scoffed and said “Really? Bit outdated, isn’t it?”

And it got me thinking. Not how the play was outdated, but how someone could believe that issues such as classism, sexism, disparity of wealth, corporate success mongering, burnout, and femininity were outdated.

Yes, you are about to be transported into the world of late 70’s/early 80’s England and so there may be some particular British euphemisms, phrasings, or political references that go over your head. But at the heart, the very core of this play, the pressures of the corporate world, the insane strive for “success”, the heartbreaking stories of women, and the relationships of friends, family, and new acquaintances are universal.

I have yet to say the F word in reference to this play.

Feminism. This word has been prodded and pulled, torn about, reconstructed, utilised, weaponised, demonised, and politicised. It has become the divine saviour of femininity and the flagship of patriarchal debate. Feminism and even the idea of femininity is still questioned, belittled, patronised. Made to feel inferior, weaker, more sensitive, less. Women must squash it; men aren’t allowed to have it. It’s still something you have to “own”. Top Girls explores the wave of feminism we are honestly still battling.

You are about to witness seven feminine-identifying actors take on this mammoth endeavour. They are backed by a team of feminine-identifying crew. They have all put their heart, their soul, their blood (predominately mine from trying to sow curtains), their tears and their life into this work. There have been ups and downs, swings and roundabouts, but at the end of the day, they have supported, loved, forgiven, surprised, pushed, and encouraged one another to an extent I never expected. It has been a joy, a pleasure, a privilege.

Everyone, Top Girls.

MH

About the Play

Patriarchy.

It’s a big word in our society at the moment.

Set in the early 1980s, Top Girls depicts the lifestyle and life choices of its central character, Marlene. A successful career woman, who’s just received a major promotion, who indisputably fought her way to the top to get it - Marlene’s star is rising.

To celebrate, she throws a fabulous Saturday night dinner party for herself. In attendance are not friends, family, or colleagues, but astoundingly famous women from history, literature, and legend. The women share their extraordinary experiences of life, work, love, and children.

Enter Marlene to Top Girls Employment Agency, a dazzling hot and prominent business in central London where Marlene has just scored the prime position. She is Top Girl in a man’s world, but she has a sister whose life is very different. The unequivocal reality of those who have been stepped on, neglected, beaten, and cut by those who succeeded. The uncovering of their secrets reminds us of what is really important and what it is we are prepared to lose.

CAST

Aurelie Roque | Marlene

Natasha McDonald | Isabella Bird/Joyce/Louise

Jazz Zhao | Lady Nijo/Win

Anastasia Benham | Pope Joan/Mrs Kidd

Brigitte Freeme | Griselda/Janine/Nell

Chelsea Doran | Angie/Dull Gret

Emmy Moore | Waitress/Shona/Kit

CREW AND CREATIVES

Mikayla Hosking | Director

Samara Louise | Assistant Director

Lara Rix | Stage Manager

Petria Leong | Assistant Stage Manager

Xanthe Jones | Costume Designer

Claire Yorston | Lighting Designer

Rosie Richardson | Sound Designer

Reviews

"The capacity crowd of theatre-goers proves there’s an appetite for reflective drama that’s well cast and succinctly produced by a top creative team.”

Beth Keehn - Stage Whispers | Read Full Review

"The exceedingly talented women that took the stage and held the audience captive for two hours, as well as those working backstage, were the real top girls in this show. Their performances are not to be missed and this production has once again cemented Ad Astra as a major player for quality theatre in the Brisbane theatre scene.”

Yasmin Elahi - Queensland Stage Critics | Read Full Review

"Caryl Churchill’s award winning 1982 work is a beast of a play with complexity of structure and non-linear execution featuring fast-paced overlapping dialogue in its exploration of the emotional and social costs faced by women. To successfully bring such a sophisticated work to life requires well-honed performances and this production certainly does not disappoint in this regard.”

Meredith Walker - Blue Curtains Brisbane | Read Full Review

“Top Girls’ is a layered production that fully encompasses the complexities of modern Feminism. Hosking and co. have done justice to the text, holding a mirror up to what Feminism and femininity mean in an environment where the underlying issues are ongoing. Overall, Ad Astra’s production is a nuanced piece of theatre that showcases why Churchill’s work is a modern classic.”

Harrison Mills - Theatre Haus | Read Full Review