The actor and Play School star hopes to redefine our image of the former prime minister, in a work that imagines the lead-up to her famous misogyny speech, 10 years after it happened
With Gillard fiercely guarding her privacy since leaving politics, playwright Joanna Murray-Smith has speculated on her life, regrets and what led to those history-making 15 minutes, in which the then prime minister accused her opposition leader Tony Abbott and the Coalition of sexism.Murray-Smith’s past plays include Honour, Switzerland and the Olivier-nominated the Female of the Species.
While she would not endorse the play, the former prime minister said she would not stop Murray-Smith writing it. The playwright left their meeting surprised by Gillard’s humour, charm and humility. “In a way, I think that was her downfall, in that she didn’t let people in and it was hard [for the public] to glimpse the humanity,” Murray-Smith said. “I was surprised at how much I liked her [and] my admiration for her grew when I realised what she was up against and what she actually got done [in office].”
‘We have so few examples of really theatrical moments in parliament,’says playwright Joanna Murray Smith of the 2012 speech.Julia is not intended as a hagiography; Murray-Smith delved into Gillard’s flaws and failings, along with her strengths. She said the misogyny speech lent itself to a dramatic re-telling, particularly a decade on.
“We have so few examples of really theatrical moments [in parliament] that captivate the public,” she said.
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