Hot on the heels of the female-led Barbie movie, feminism and women in power are in. Long before the Mattel doll, a group of women changed the face of warfare when the US Army called them to service during World War I. Their story is captured in The Hello Girls musical coming to Canberra Theatre Centre on 7-9 September.

1917: a time when no women but nurses were employed by the army, and Western frontline communications were weakening, a decision was made to do something drastic – employ more women. Requirements meant applicants had to be fluent in French and English and have switchboard skills; over 7,000 women applied and only 223 were accepted. This is the story of five of those women.

“These women go off to war and serve their country and are changed through the process. It’s really a story about female rights and human rights and the fight for equality for women,” says Petronella van Tienan, who plays Helen Hill.

Returning from war, the ‘hello girls’ weren’t given the same aid and support that the men received; as they weren’t considered part of the army, they didn’t have the same entitlements. However, the women were paid, wore uniforms and were on the frontline, holding down the same jobs as the men, says Ms van Tienan. Their story is a reminder of what is happening in the world today, she says.

“There are injustices happening in the world still when you think about the queer community, climate change, the fact that there’s still a third world in our society. We are still needing to fight for impactful change that’s going to allow every individual to have an equal chance,” she says.

After the success of their debut production, Urinetown the Musical, Heart Strings Theatre Co. brings another exciting production to Canberra. A cast of local and interstate actors brings to life this show about trailblazing women, hoping to leave audiences feeling inspired and uplifted.

“Every individual can make a difference and can make an impactful change in the world. We can’t sit back in apathy and let these injustices continue to happen; we need to use our voices and our influence to create the change that we want to see,” the actor says.

According to Ms van Tienan, the characters are relatable to any audience – from the feisty and authoritative to the young and naïve, we see the women grow together. Her character learns from the other ‘hello girls’ that women don’t have to be pigeonholed.

“Women who are small and sweet don’t have to be just that. Women can be everything – they can be fiery and swear and be sweet and loving and nurturing and have anger and passion,” she says.

While tackling tough topics, the show promises to be fun, bright and uplifting with song, dance and entertainment for audiences of all ages.

“You’ll hear some delicious harmonies, some wonderful voices … You will see singing and dancing and we’ll be speaking fluent French and working switchboards. It will be a beautiful cohesive piece of theatre,” smiles Ms van Tienan.

Hear the calls of The Hello Girls at Canberra Theatre Centre, 7-9 September; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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