“I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man, I will not. And the Government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever.”

Ten years on from Julia Gillard’s passionate misogyny speech, the Canberra Theatre Centre (CTC) has announced its partnership with the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) to co-produce a play offering a new perspective of the famous speech.

Julia tells an imagining of the inner monologue of the then Prime Minister in the lead-up to the parliamentary sitting on 9 October 2012. 

“If he [Abbott] wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn’t need a motion in the House of Representatives; he needs a mirror. That’s what he needs,” Gillard proclaimed.

The now iconic words were spoken by Gillard after accusations of sexism by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott; the hypocrisy was too much for her to let it slide this time. The normally stoic and collected leader seemed to have reached breaking point with the double standards in Australia’s political ecosystem and the aftermath was heard around the world.

When researching for a play on the former Prime Minister as commissioned by the STC, playwright Joanna Murray-Smith knew this was the moment she wanted to be her focal point.

“The speech was the natural attraction, it was the one moment in her administration that you saw the energy of her interior life explode into the public space,” Murray-Smith says.

She remembers watching the speech and, as a playwright, was thrilled by the theatricality of it. The moment captured what seemed like Gillard no longer caring about the 24-hour media cycle, and in an age of constant self-preservation, she let loose.

“Such was her passion and such was her rage that it was sort of no holds barred and she went for broke. Seeing the reaction in the room and particularly on Tony Abbott’s face was just priceless,” the playwright says.

Julia isn’t a retelling of the facts that led up to the moment; Murray-Smith says there are enough of those available for those who want them. Her aim was to delve into the personal side of the story, asking who the woman behind the political front was, and what was she going through at the time.

“I didn’t want to write a political assessment or judgment on her leadership; I wanted to write something that was much more emotional and much more personal.”

This is the first time the playwright has written about someone who is still alive; Murray-Smith told STC that she would only move forward with the play if the former Prime Minister agreed. She met with Gillard for an interview and was surprised to be greeted with openness and generosity rather than the wariness she was expecting. 

“It tells you something about her; she said she wouldn’t endorse the play but she wasn’t going to stand in the way of me writing it. I think shows someone who is very secure about themselves.”

It was imperative to Murray-Smith to tell the story in an authentic and fair way. She says the biggest challenge when writing the play was feeling as though she knew Gillard well enough to speculate as to who she really is. There is no way to guarantee that the Julia she has created in her story is the same as the former leader.

“Of course, I didn’t want an endorsement; this isn’t hero worship. It is about getting inside a human being; it is about seeing someone with shades of grey.”

However, Murray-Smith hopes she has done the character justice and her Julia is personable enough that it helps bring the audience a better understanding of the circumstances that led to the misogyny speech.

“It is an imagining into the psychology of the woman who had passed an enormous amount of legislation and been a very effective prime minister. Inside the woman who had managed to run the country against this mountain of sabotaging vitriol, it’s an examination of who she is as a human being rather than a judgment over her administration.”

Taking on the play’s titular – and only – role is renowned Australian actress, Justine Clarke. Murray- Smith says she can’t wait to see what Clarke and director Sarah Goodes decide to do with the pivotal speech, and whether they try to recreate it as it was said in parliament or choose to change its delivery.

Just a hop, skip and a jump from where it all took place on Capital Hill, the play will premiere at Canberra Theatre Centre in March next year. Murray- Smith says the venue is the perfect place for the world premiere.

Julia will premiere at Canberra Theatre Centre, 18-25 March 2023; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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