This energetic take on Joanna Murray-Smith’s The Female of the Species, directed by Erica Lovell, offers some quick laughs and interesting philosophies.

Alone in her country cottage, Margot Mason, long-time feminist writer and academic is trying to write her next life-altering bestseller, something that can match the earlier works that made her famous, but her creative juices seem to have run dry. Enter Molly, a long-time reader determined to understand Mason’s seemingly drastic changes of heart over the decades – in one telling women to forego children to maintain their power, in another telling them motherhood is the definition of empowerment. Just as the gun comes out, her exhausted stay-at-home-mum daughter shows up, as does her son-in-law, her publisher, and an errant taxi driver. Margot must defend her choices to not only Molly but to all of them, and ultimately to us. 

This story is much more a drama than a comedy, although it offers a selection of great comedic moments. It seeks to both support feminist values and at the same time critique the many pioneering feminists who have radically changed their views on career, family and sex as gender conversations have shifted. It’s a valid point and one that’s been done very well in such shows as All About Women’s Feminist Roast of 2024. The dynamics between Lucy Miller as Margot Mason, Jade Fuda as her violent reader Molly, and Lib Campbell as Mason’s daughter Tess, are reflective of this tone and quite compelling, with Campbell a standout on the comedy front.

Then there are the characters of the son-in-law and taxi driver, played by Doron Chester and Joe Kalou respectively, who represent those ignorant to or disdainful of feminists. They get a lot of time to spout their views, and coupled with the extreme action of Molly and the viper-tongue of lead Margot Mason, the play presents quite a harsh view of feminism in 2024. The majority of the play is an extended debate and stick-em-up but needs more diversity in tone and volume to maintain the stakes we feel as the audience, right to the very end.

Purchase your ticket to The Female of the Species here.

Sauvignon Blanc | Wine Pairing

The wine that has seen many an Aussie woman through every decade since table wine became popular in Australia, a good savvy b is acidic and has minerality to go with its lemon and green apple flavours.

The Female of the Species, Rogue Projects and the Old Fitz | Tasting Notes

Aussie Season	1 to 23 November 2024, Old Fitz Theatre Sydney
Ticket $	$38-83
Writer	Joanna Murray-Smith
Director	Erica Lovell
Theatre Type & Genre	drama-comedy
See it if you like	philosophical arguments
Wine Pairing	Sauvignon Blanc
Criteria for Wine Pairing	acidic and a classic easy drinking Aussie wine