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■ The pernicious injustice of gender discrimination resulting in the travesty of silencing onehalf of the world’s people from history is the basis of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s award-winning, intelligent, black comedy Emilia. Loosely based on poet Emilia Bassano, perhaps Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady of the Sonnets’,” Emilia weaves a tale of power and exploitation in Elizabethan England. Three actors play Emilia – each at a different stage of her life. Manali Datar is the young Emilia, Cessalee Stovall is Emilia in her middle years, and Lisa Maza the elder Emilia and the narrator. From the start, a wide-eyed Emilia fights to pursue her passion for writing in a world biased against her. “As I grow, I must also shrink,” she laments. An all-female cast accompanies the three leads, playing multiple parts, and is particularly good in the male roles. Catherine Glavicic plays Emilia’s husband with an effete, laconic charm. Heidi Arena, as Shakespeare, owned the stage with Tudor mansplaining accompanied by wry eye-rolling. “This is my gaff,” he shouts, shocked at Emilia storming the Globe stage to protest the plagiarism of her words.
● Cessalee Stovall as Emilia. Photo: Dylan Hornsby. Kudos to the cast who managed to rally and vening centuries. pick up admirably following the unexpected with“If they try to burn you, may your fire be drawal of Arena due to illness, valiantly replaced stronger than theirs so you can burn the whole by Izabella Yena. f***ing house down.” Despite being a little long and occasionally a Judging by the whoops and cheers following little slow, understandable due to the unexpected this rousing speech, the audience concurred incident, this is a fun, intelligent play with a mesPerformance Season: Until November 27 sage well overdue. Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne The play culminates in a passionate appeal Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne. to women by the elder Emilia (Maza) to resist com.au/whats-on/2022/theatre/emilia the patriarchy passed down through the interReview by Kathryn Keeble