RBG: Of Many, One → State Theatre SA

 

From the moment it begins, RBG: Of Many, demands you strap in. The whole space dims into darkness as operatic music swoons throughout the theatre. When the lights come up, there stands Heather Mitchell as Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Poised. Certain. Ready. Instantly, it's like she grabs our hands, expertly guiding us through a biographical journey through this woman’s life in real time. 

In the show’s “two halves” there are clear tension points and details of her life that you wait in anticipation to be revealed. It begins with RBG awaiting a phone call from Bill Clinton to confirm her appointment to the Supreme Court. Here, Mitchel plays the role of herself, AND Clinton AND her husband Marty. The second half takes place mostly between 2013 - 2020, this time centering at a tense dinner with Obama where he questions her retirement. There are also many humorous scenes that see Mitchell lean into RBG’s iconic moments such as her ‘notorious’ meme and her TIME Magazine Cover. 

Suzie Miller’s craftsmanship of this show is perfect in that it moves at a pace that doesn’t let anyone’s attention slip. In each scene, Mitchell expertly switches between present day and younger versions of RBG, guiding this almost ‘stream of conscious’ style of storytelling. She speaks to the audience of what happened in the past, before flashing back to show us right there and then in the present. 

I was an audience member who went into this show relatively unaware about the detail of her legacy, yet I left knowing so much more. Her relentless drive for change stood out to me most, and Mitchell portrays this quality in her with the greatest care. 

We may refer to this work as a “one-woman show” but the cast and creative team behind its success is truly triumphant. RBG: Of Many, One will stick with its Australian audiences for a very long time. 

- By Sophie Tsoulos



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