Joanna Murray-Smith’s acclaimed play Julia arrives at QPAC for the first time, presented by Queensland Theatre as part of the show’s second national tour. A co-production with Sydney Theatre Company and Canberra Theatre Centre, Julia reimagines the forces that built to that unforgettable moment in 2012 when Julia Gillard roasted Tony Abbott in Parliament with what will forever be known as the misogyny speech.
Directed by Sarah Goodes and starring Justine Clarke in the title role, Julia has already surpassed 200 performances and been seen by over 100,000 people. At the recent Time Out Arts & Culture Awards, it took home two People’s Choice honours: Favourite Play and Favourite Performance in a Play for Justine Clarke.
Murray-Smith stylishly blends facts and imagination, weaving together real events, published works, interviews, and fictional commentary. The result is a narrative that feels truthful and theatrical, the writing alive with wit and tenderness. Goodes directs with sensitivity, presenting a nuanced portrait; Julia Gillard as a woman of humour, strength, and resolve.
We’re taken deep into Gillard’s childhood, the daughter of Welsh parents carrying the weight of their homeland. Clarke narrates the heartbreak of a mining disaster before the family leaves the valleys behind for the promise of Adelaide.
Her father’s presence is strong. Clarke slips into a gentle Welsh lilt to echo his words: “Any fight for justice is our fight, Julia.” It feels less like a line of dialogue and more like an inheritance.
Then comes the Unley High teenager. Julia is lifted by the pulse of ‘80s pop, a “hot young redhead” pushing herself higher. There’s joy in her energy, but also the sense of a young woman striding towards something immense.
As she steps into the halls of power, the atmosphere shifts. Renée Mulder’s sparse set frames the stage with two mirrored walls that come alive with footage. We see only the gleam of her red bob and a brilliant blue jacket. It’s a silhouette, a suggestion, the shape of history slowly coming into focus.
Even the costumes tell the story. A flannel shirt is swapped for a dressy blouse. Sneakers are swapped out for court shoes. Layer by layer, we watch her armour build to the unmistakable Gillard jacket. A woman fully formed, and ready for the fight.
Clarke’s performance is outstanding. She owns the stage, holding the audience’s attention for the full 90 minutes. It’s not just the red hair or the blue jacket that makes her Julia. Her voice shifts seamlessly between narrator and Prime Minister, capturing Gillard’s distinctive accent. Her physicality changes too, and it’s an acting masterclass.
Clarke mixes a dry, distinctly Aussie humour with emotional depth; even those who don’t follow politics will find themselves hooked. Her gasp of delight at becoming the first female deputy Prime Minister lands with charm and honesty. (F*** yes!) And when she first portrays Tony Abbott’s smug smirk, the audience bursts into applause.
Lotte Beckett as the Young Woman is magnetic, a thread connecting past and present, the personal and political. She is Julia remembered and Julia becoming, bringing the story to life with every movement. She dances with Julia through the ’80s, tends flowers, grows into herself in moments the older Julia carries in memory. Beckett energises the performance, making the young Julia feel vivid and immediate.
The play is filled with political and cultural references, highlighting the sexism Gillard endured in office. We are taken through infamously grotesque moments including the Liberal Party fundraiser menu slur (“small breasts, huge thighs, and a big red box”), and the label of “deliberately barren.” And we’re reminded that, even when she called (and won) an election to be legally recognised as Prime Minister, few acknowledged her title, preferring instead to refer to her simply as “Julia.”
The play doesn’t shy away from controversy, touching on Gillard’s decision to reopen offshore processing for asylum seekers and her ‘no’ to marriage equality. Yet it also underscores her courage and effectiveness across a range of policies, reminding the audience that she passed 570 bills in the Senate, more than any other Australian leader in history.
But it’s the speech we’ve all come to see, and Clarke delivers all eight minutes of it, gloriously in full. It is spectacular.
The ‘speech’ wasn’t prepared. It was a response to then opposition leader Tony Abbott, who accused Gillard of sexism and misogyny for supporting Speaker Peter Slipper after he had sent inappropriate texts to a young staffer.
(That young staffer was James Ashby, who, it was pointed out to me after the show, did not disappear from politics as the play predicts. He was the One Nation candidate for Keppel and led the party in the 2024 Queensland state election.)
This was the catalyst that saw Gillard meticulously recount the many instances in which Abbott himself had acted in grossly sexist and misogynistic ways. This ‘misogyny speech’ came to define a turning point in Australian politics and sparked a wider cultural reckoning.
Almost thirteen years have passed since that speech, yet the issues remain troublingly familiar. Women are still fighting for their rights and equal representation. But the speech serves as a reminder of how words can carry far beyond their moment in time.
Julia is a play for everyone: all political leanings, or none at all. If you’re too young to remember, it serves as a compelling education. If you’re old enough, it’s a sobering reminder of what was done, and what still remains. It’s also hopeful and points to how we can do better. Julia is a powerful example of theatre’s ability to challenge, to provoke, and ultimately, to inspire change.
Julia is presented as part of Queensland Theatre’s 2025 season and runs to 30 August at the Playhouse, QPAC.
It then heads to IPAC, Wollongong from 3 – 13 September.
Tickets: https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2025/queensland-theatre-julia
Website: https://queenslandtheatre.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/qld_theatre/
Photo credits: Prudence Upton
