Megan Wilding and Stephanie Somerville dressed for the ball. Photo: Stephen Wilson Barker
Big Girls Don’t Cry is a snapshot of Redfern in the 1960s, told from a First Nations perspective. Big things were on the horizon: the 1967 referendum, for one, but before that the upcoming 1966 Indigenous Debutante Ball to be held at Paddington Town Hall. And Australians, of all backgrounds, were fighting in the Vietnam war. Racism and undisguised contempt for Aboriginal people were rampant, but change, it seemed, was in the air.
Gumbaynggirr/Wiradjuri woman Dalara William’s debut play draws on all these things, and from her own knowledge of growing up in Redfern. ‘What inspired me to write this story would have to be my grandmothers,’ she says. ‘I got to sit and listen to them tell stories about what it’s like to be in Redfern.’ Even in the world of segregation and racism, ‘they found time to dress up and go to dances in places they were allowed to go in… they still found joy connecting and holding on to each other.’
And so the characters of three friends Cheryl (played by Williams), Lulu (Stephanie Somerville) and Queenie (Megan Wilding) evolved and are now on the Belvoir stage, along with Cheryl’s uni grad brother Ernie (Guy Simon), her absent (in Vietnam) soldier beau Michael (Mathew Cooper), Ernie’s friend Milo (Nic English) and a very unpleasant Constable Robinson (Bryn Chapman-Parish).
As you might expect, given the title of this play and the friendship between three young women, romance is also in the air. Conflicting emotions are given full rein as the girls navigate their way through the minefields of affection. Bonds are stretched, others are strengthened; friendships are threatened.
At nearly three hours, Big Girls Don’t Cry is long. It could be shorter, without losing any of the points Williams wants to share. There is plenty of wit, most nimbly illustrated whenever Wilding is on stage, and especially when she is sharpening her repartee on Simon’s Ernie. Standout performances, both.
The scenes that come towards the close of Act 1, when the three girls, Ernie and Milo, are abused and insulted by a lone cop are shocking. The disdain and contempt of white society in general for Aboriginal peoples makes for uncomfortable viewing.
On one level this is also a history play. Some younger members of the audience on the night I attended were unaware of the political events that background this story. Raising that awareness can only be a good thing.
But to quote Williams again: ‘[this play shows] another aspect of Aboriginal life, one that we never get a chance to tell. Just black joy and black love amongst friends, amongst siblings, amongst romantic partners.’
Ian Michael directs. ‘Dalara’s writing shines a light on the strength and resilience of these women and their communities,’ he says, ‘intertwining personal stories with political realities. The play serves as both a tribute to those who have come before us and a powerful affirmation of the unbreakable spirit of black love, laughter, and again sisterhood.’
Until 27 April 2025
Prices: $41-$97
Tickets: https://belvoir.com.au/productions/big-girls
