"Why did I win, when so many others lost? What’s it cost?" Ponders tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the opening sequence of Sunshine Super Girl. This delightful play washes the audience with glorious layers of sunshine sweetness; and in return, exuberant, life-affirming positivity radiates back in the form of joy-filled laughter, loud cheering and eventually a celebratory standing ovation.
Audience engagement and the aforementioned ovation are testimony to the visionary talent of writer-director Andrea James. Uplifting vignettes of family escapades and a supportive community pull at the heart strings, while the seamless fluidity of performance, set, wardrobe, lighting and sound is buoyed by the audience’s pride and relief that in 2022 the dark age of racism that Goolagong Cawley experienced has evolved – and our contemporary society is making progress toward the light of racial equality.
The Melbourne Theatre Company's Southbank Theatre auditorium is extended beyond the stage and divided in two halves, with a desert-red clay tennis court in the centre. Set and costume designer Romanie Harper presents a ’70s and ’80s-inspired stylised tennis glamour that could easily grace the pages of a high-end fashion magazine. With support from video media designer Mic Gruchy, live-action landscapes carpet the stage and transport the narrative through time and place: from the clay tennis court to the manicured green grass courts of Wimbledon; and to the gentle ripples of the backwater where Goolagong Cawley fishes.
Under the movement direction of Vicki Van Hout and Katina Olsen, dance is a language of privilege, culture, and athleticism. At times grounded in Aboriginal culture and ancestral meaning, it also soars smoothly into riveting and masterfully executed synchronised tennis matches.
Ella Ferris’ portrayal as freshwater woman Goolagong Cawley is exhilarating and alive with the crowd-pleasing skills the tennis legend herself is renowned for. Lincoln Elliot is a loveable larrikin Dad and a sexy and considerate Roger Cawley (Evonne’s love interest); Kirk Page, as Evonne’s controlling coach, presents a chilling portrayal of exploitation and abuse thinly concealed behind the façade of champion supporter. The tenderness and generosity of Jax Compton as Mum to the Goolagong seven is a huggable delight; and Katina Olsen, in her various roles, ascends with grace and glory that transforms the stage with pace and purpose to ultimately create a monumental and magical theatre experience. More movement-driven theatre stories please!
And as for the answer to Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s opening question, here it is: "Why me? Why not!"
Sunshine Super Girl is playing at Southbank Theatre until December 14. For more information and to book your tickets, head to the website.