Above : Jessica Redmayne, Belinda Giblin, Lisa McCune, Mandy Bishop, Lotte Beckett, Debra Lawrence. Pic Brett Boardman
So, there’s no hiding from the reality that Steel Magnolias originally came to Australian audiences’ attention after its international movie release.
Robert Harling, who wrote this play, also wrote the now infamous screenplay that was adapted into the iconic film.
Harling, who was originally an actor, wrote the stage play based on personal family experiences and his early life in the American South.
After the success of the stage play, its adaptation transitioned him into a successful screenwriter known for his wit and pathos in films such as Steel Magnolias and The First Wives Club.
Steel Magnolias sits firmly within the storytelling of a generation of white women in the late 1980s of the American South.
Going to the theatre to see a play about white Southern women was not something audiences outside America automatically understood in its cultural context.
In 1989, the film Steel Magnolias launched this play into iconic movie history and starred an outstanding ensemble cast of women.
When the credits roll, the film stars Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts. In 1989, that movie set the international stage for the play from where this story originated.
It stood alone as a film that embraced the journey of women whose friendship encompasses and exceeds the bounds of ordinary human connection, while exploring what it is like to be part of a small community dealing with the complex issues raised in this play.
So, this production had a lot of history behind it and a legacy that demanded much to be incorporated into its execution in 2026.
What, then, can this new production of the original play tell us about the story today?
The star line-up and casting are the first indication.
What follows is a world of women, sisterhood, triumph, tragedy, sorrow and joy. A world full of “reflective surfaces” for all of us.
The script, set and ensemble cast are brilliantly written, designed and executed.
M’Lynn, played by Lisa McCune, is the mother, protector and fighter for her daughter whilst balancing the competing issues of a husband and two sons.
Ouiser, played by Belinda Giblin, is a woman who, in her own words, has had ‘two deadbeat husbands’ and is not crazy. She has simply been ‘in a bad mood for 40 years’.
Clairee, played by Debra Lawrance, is a woman who has forged her own destiny after the death of her husband.
And Truvy, played by Mandy Bishop, is the central force. Her hairdressing salon is the place where these women meet to explore their lives and journeys.
Jessica Redmayne as Shelby has the pivotal role as the emotional centre of the story, while Lotte Beckett as Annelle ultimately reveals Shelby to be the positive guardian angel of the narrative.
As an ensemble cast, they unite and shine together.
At the core of this story is a woman of her time caught in the dilemma of living with diabetes whilst wanting to have a baby, despite the risks to her health. It is a story about chronic illness and the love and family that surround and support her.
But its heart beats strongest in its understanding of these women. Their choices, experiences and circumstances and the way women forge resilient relationships and enduring bonds.
Women in the American South during this period had a “genteel” way of viewing the world.
The modern world affords us no such luxury.
This play is therefore a beautiful reminder of the strength of community, friendship and loyalty through times of struggle and adversity. We could all use a Truvy’s salon in which to meet and build our friendships.
The juxtaposition of pathos, humour, joy, sorrow, laughter and tears is a tribute to the brilliance of the playwriting and the beautifully written script, alongside the strong direction of Director Lee Lewis.
The casting of these six women makes this production extraordinary and filled with remarkable performances.
Sisterhood and friendship are explored within the intimate, enclosed world of a small-town beauty salon. A sanctuary for women and community.
Beauty salons and hairdressers have long been safe spaces where women tell their stories. While modern life may have eroded some of that intimacy, the desire for women to find safe spaces to connect with friends and community remains a tradition worth preserving and nurturing.
This play understands that deeply. Unlike the film, the men in these women’s lives remain an offstage reality. What remains centre stage is sisterhood. Women coming together in troubled times.
The set is key to the storytelling: a beauty salon exploring female friendship and female strength.
Set and Costume Designer Simone Romaniuk creates a beautiful and intimate platform for the audience. You cannot help but feel drawn into the world of these women.
Lighting Designer Paul Jackson and Composer & Sound Designer Brady Watkins further embellish both the internal and external emotional realities of the production.
If theatre is a place for self-reckoning, then this show reminds us that ‘our world is full of reflective surfaces’.
Lisa McCune’s final scene as M’Lynn spans the full gamut of emotion, while the comic interplay between Clairee (Debra Lawrance) and Ouiser (Belinda Giblin) is a comedic masterclass.
You never truly know how great an actor is by watching their performances on television or film alone. TV and film allow for retakes. The stage does not. Theatre is live, visceral and real. The ability to hold an audience’s attention and draw them beyond the fourth wall is magical to witness. This ensemble cast achieves that at the highest level.
Its producers are Neil Gooding Productions and Woodward Productions, by arrangement with ORiGiN Theatrical on behalf of Samuel French Ltd, a Concord Theatricals company.
This show is a must-see.
STEEL MAGNOLIAS is playing Theatre Royal Sydney until May 30 2026.
Production photography by Brett Boardman.
