The Kingdom of Eucalypts

Miles Franklin is the flavour of the month – with the Melbourne Theatre Company about to open the musical adaptation of her novel My Brilliant Career and in Sydney the premiere of a new play about her life.

Franklin fans will enjoy this nicely staged production that provides an insight into lesser-known aspects of her life. Without a general knowledge of Franklin, the drama will be less satisfying.

Alice Spigelman was inspired to create the play after reading Franklin’s diaries, which deliciously were written in code and only deciphered fifty years after her death.

The Kingdom of Eucalypts focuses on the time when she had returned from Europe to Australia as a middle-aged woman and is looking after her elderly mother.

An amusing scene is where Suzanne Franklin (Alice Livingstone) complains how folk in the town of Goulburn were upset that some of the characters in My Brilliant Career were unflattering to those in real life who inspired them – including herself.

Two actors play the older (Beth Daley) and younger (Sarah Greenwood) Miles. This was well crafted with the duo interacting and arguing with each other as the narrative moves backwards and forwards in time.

A sweet moment is when the younger Miles is pursued for betrothal by a dashing young suitor (James Coetzee) Edwin Bridle.  Just like her leading lady in My Brilliant Career Miles stoically resists.

The fresh aspect of the narrative was the inclusion of the eccentric character of Inky Stephenson (Lloyd Allison-Young).

His views evolved from being a communist,  to joining a new organisation called Australia First during World War II which supported fascism, antisemitism and a bizarre theory that indigenous Australians had some connection to the Aryan race in Europe.

Inky came into Miles’ orbit because she was hoping that his vocation as a book publisher would resurrect her career.

Tarnishing Franklin’s reputation as a visionary feminist and supporter of a multitude of causes was the fact that she attended three meetings of Australia First.

Some historians have argued than the writer was opposed to the more extreme aspects of the group.

However, Spigelman leaves this as an open question – based on what was missing from her diaries.

Overall, the play felt a little under-developed in some parts, with room for more exploration of some of the key themes.

The production fit nicely onto the stage of the Bondi Pavilion Theatre with its wooden plank ceiling complimenting the middle twentieth century furnishings on stage.

The drama moved quickly through a multitude of times and places. It  was well acted by the company and directed by Moira Blumenthal, with an excellent design from Kate Beere, crisp lighting from Martin Kinnane and atmospheric music segments/sound design from  Allison-Young and Aaron Robuck.

David Spicer

Photogapher: Igor Turin.