Stars crossed: Jeanette Cronin and Lucia Mastrantone. Photo: Prudence Upton
For those unaware, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were two great Hollywood mega-stars, rising to fame in the 1930s – hard to believe that was nearly a century ago. Feted individually, they were brought together for the making of the film, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), which became a cult classic and proved to be something of a very successful swansong for the pair. Not that they were a happy pair. Which is what provides Anton Burge with the basis of his play. In fact, their bitter rivalry stimulated interest in Baby Jane, with its plot concerning two very dysfunctional and cruel sisters. That Crawford and Davis both officially denied this rivalry counts for nothing and the internet can now supply no end of bitchy comments attributed to each. And, as we know, nothing seems to delight some people more than women bitching against each other – and to be fair, some of those comments are very, very sharp. (Apparently there is also a nine-part TV series called Feud that is all about these two; I haven’t seen it.)
In this production, directed by Liesel Badorrek, Jeanette Cronin is Bette and Lucia Mastrantone is Joan. It’s an interesting set up as, with the exception of one brief scene towards the end of the show, the two stars do not speak directly to each other, only about each other. Grace Deacon gives us a clever set design, the first 50-minute act having Bette/Cronin and Joan/Mastrantone in adjoining dressing rooms and, even better in the second half, having them facing towards each other through their ‘mirrors’.
Both Mastrantone and Cronin are wonderful actors, and Cronin in particular has a ball with her character, revelling in Davis’s crude insults and bombastic manners. Of course, Crawford was no slouch in the insult department either, and both women liked a drink or five. In addition, Deacon has also provided the actors with great costumes; each looks the part.
As for the script itself, it’s light on biography and heavy on those bitchy one-liners. The audience is left in no doubt that these two women were jealous of each other, angry at each other, and sought territory over the some of the same men. There is some detail of what and how they rose to stardom, and the ‘father’ figures (ie Hollywood producers) in their lives, but really the script is pretty linear.
Things approach more climactic moments towards the end of the second act when Joan actually enters Bette’s dressing room. But it’s not a rapprochement and it’s not particularly explosive, just more of the same. The most telling moment for me was a projection (credit here to Cameron Smith) showing split faces, as each told snippets of their stories. Crawford and Davis certainly did have aspects in common but this play highlights their antagonism. I was waiting for the action to ‘reach boiling point’ (the publicity promised this) but it never really did. Sad that such talented stars were so vituperative, but all kudos to Cronin, Mastrantone and co for showcasing their talent.
Bette and Joan runs until 7 April 2026
Tickets $46-$95, plus booking fee
More: https://www.ensemble.com.au/shows/bette-and-joan/
