★★★½
Tucked away in the expansive Monash Clayton Campus is a portal to late 1800s Australia: Stella, performed in the Alexander Theatre.
Stella is a new Australian musical with book, music and lyrics by Monique diMattina, showing us Australia’s future by digging into its past. Directed by Julia Robertson with musical direction by Vicky Jacobs, we are introduced to the story of Stella, more commonly known as Miles Franklin, author of My Brilliant Career.
The story starts in Stella’s childhood, walking us through her upbringing and how it informed her famous novel. By the end of the first act, she realises maybe she was too honest with her storytelling and confronts the real-world implications on her relationships, family and small-town community.
The second act flashes forward approximately thirty years and shows us how determined she has been to keep working despite the guilt her first story bore her.
The first act is a wonderful establishment of this world; however, it bears a striking resemblance to the recent musical My Brilliant Career, given the biographical nature of Stella’s first novel.
The second act is really where the show sings. The internal and external conflict for Stella, her world crumbling down in a plethora of ways, paired with the push to keep making in any way she can, is truly compelling.
From here, the story takes us down a path far less travelled, depicting Stella’s later life, her struggle to amend her past and overcome the sexism of the publishing industry.
Nick Fry’s set design is beautiful and immersive. The tiered stage creates a sense of grandeur, and the natural grasses and floral embellishments ground us in the outback. I loved the sparse use of period-accurate furniture and the ways these elements travelled across the stage for each scene.
The biggest wow of the night is the lighting. Sidney Younger’s lighting design is epic and tender, building out the world in a spectacular way. It has a cinematic quality; hopeful and warm, with a beautiful golden orange hue for each Australian sunrise. It perfectly matches the song, Sun Climbs to Greet You.
Geraldine Hakewill is stunning as Stella and doesn’t shy away from the wounds and selfishness of the character, giving a greater depth to her character’s triumphs.
Johanna Allen, who plays Mother, Mary Gilmore and others, is truly magnetic. With a powerful voice that cut through ensemble numbers, each of her characterisations is unique and equally engrossing. Johanna carries much of the emotional weight of the second act and does so with grace and sensitivity.
Mary Gilmore, in particular, was my favourite character of the show; a comedic relief in stark contrast to the blunt and brutal portrayal of Mother, who then surprises Stella with her heart by the end of the show.
The presence of the band on stage is a gorgeous element, and each beat of the score left me entranced. For a show dedicated to the Australiana of it all, I do wish there had been more of a focus on an outback Australian sound, evoking the feeling of an Australian bush dance or something in that musical tradition.
Even so, Stella is an exciting new addition to Australia’s musical storytelling. Conveying a deeply feminist story about connection to country, Stella sheds light on a classic Australian figure in the years we may have forgotten.
STELLA: A New Australian Musical runs to 20 June 2026 at Alexander Theatre. The Ian Potter Centre of Performing Arts, Monash University, Clayton Vic 3168.
Tickets: https://mpac.monash.edu/event/stella
Website: https://stellathemusical.com/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/stellathemusical/
Photo credits: Ben Fon
