How refreshing to be accosted by five vibrant, orange-clad airline steward-ees in the crowded, pre-show foyer and seating of the Ensemble Theatre.
It makes you want to order a drink and buckle up.
Such was the riotous atmosphere of the opening night of a fabulous new Australian play, FLY GIRL.
In 2023, Mark Kilmurry (Ensemble’s artistic director) got an email from his wife Jacqui, about a female Australian pilot, Deborah Lawrie. Kilmurry was inspired and passed the story on to two fine actresses and writers, Genevieve Hegney and Catherine Moore. He asked if they could write a play about Lawrie’s story and bring a sense of “the comic (and dramatic) to this woman’s great struggle”.
Hegney and Moore brought their friend, director and colleague Janine Watson on board and two years later FLY GIRL premiered. Hegney and Moore had written and performed two plays at the Ensemble, with Watson as director; Unqualified in 2018 and the 2022 sequel, Still Unqualified, with sold out seasons.
Lawrie learnt to fly a plane before she was old enough to drive a car.
Her father gave her a flying lesson for her 16th birthday. By age 18, Lawrie had her private pilot’s license and by 20 her commercial pilot’s license.
After working as an aviation instructor, Lawrie decided to contact Ansett to fly a major airline at 23. For years she was rejected. Reg Ansett believed that women could not fly large planes. Their monthly cycles made them unsuitable.
These moral dilemmas were prominent in the 1970s. Lawrie, in 1979, won a landmark case under the Sex Discrimination Act and in 1980, became the first female commercial pilot in Australia.
Hegney said, “We have to show the humour (of the 70s) and then really drop into this woman’s struggle. Comedy opens you up and once you’re open, then you can find the pathos and the drama of the situation.”
Hegney and Moore have made this difficult but triumphant story highly enjoyable. Sad and funny. Lawrie, who is known affectionately by cast and crew to be kind, humble and honest, helped over the years in the writing of her story. She was in Sydney for the play and has joined the standing ovation onstage several times. She even flew her family up from Melbourne on her Virgin jet, (where she now works), to see the show.
There are 50 characters in the story played by 5 actors. The speedy costume changes are brilliantly conceived and directed. Hegney is great as Sir Reginald Ansett – that “men rule the world” attitude. Moore is mercurial and very funny. They are both dynamic in all of their characters.
Lawrie is played with great conviction by relative newcomer, Cleo Meinck. She has the kind of focus you would expect the young Lawrie to have. And the single-mindedness.
Alex Kirwan, another young newcomer is great in his multiple roles, particularly funny as the female air hostess, Helen.
Emma Palmer is hilarious in her various roles. Her grey-wigged judge, her warm and fussy mother, she is great to watch.
Costumes by Grace Deacon are brilliant as is her bright orange set and classic ‘Solari’ split-flap flight board hanging above.
Morgan Moroney’s lighting is also vivid, complimenting Deacon’s set.
Sound designer Daniel Herten has done a great job with voice overs, (director Janine Watson’s father Mike was an air traffic controller at the same time and place as Lawrie – Moorabbin Airport – so he did the voice overs.)
Herten and the team chose a wonderful song for the young Lawrie – Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky.
You must see this contagious and uplifting piece of theatre. It’s a well crafted and celebratory new Australian play about a formidable woman who becomes a trailblazer.
FLY GIRL is playing the Ensemble theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli until the 22nd November 2025.
Production photography by Prudence Upton
What a play.
I enjoyed every single moment from the pre play Air Hosties directing us
to our seats and moving around some audience Members to better seats !
The cast of 5 Actors transforming into about 50 other characters was superb.
More please from those two amazing writers.
Many of us in the audience could relate to the struggles we had getting
‘Jobs’ that were really for men !!!! We were better when given the chance.
Congratulations to Mark and his team and to the brilliant writers and their team,
I saw Deborah recently on Hard Quiz ……..