The Drama
Ruth Mandour (Susie Youseff), a newly elected MP from a marginal Sydney seat, is not the kind of woman to let a bad hair day get in the way of advancing her women’s health legislation.
Anna Cooper (Emily Taheny), her chief of staff, is a formidable political operative who thinks nothing of leveraging her past relationship with the Minister for Science (Johnny Nasser) to advance Ruth’s political agenda.
Young staffer, Kelly Sheppard (Franca Lafosse), may be new to the political scene, but she’s bright and bubbly and eager to please.
Photo Credit – STC / Prudence Upton
By intermission, Anna has been distracted by a family emergency, Ruth has made a series of missteps and Kelly has either inadvertently garnered the Minister’s support or she’s cunningly manipulated him to Ruth’s advantage, depending on which way you interpret the events which have unfolded.
So how will this tale of political intrigue, divided loyalties and sordid scandal end? Will Ruth’s legislation to promote gender equality in the field of healthcare get the support it deserves? Will the sacrifices Anna has made get recognised? And will the drama playing out in the halls of Parliament House find its way to the Prime Minister’s office…and, not for nothing, who has been cast as the PM?
Photo Credit – STC / Prudence Upton
What My Eyebrows Told Me
Any play, of this nature, will inevitably be compared to Yes, Minister, House of Cards and Utopia.
Housework makes a positive contribution to the genre but, other than the admirable focus on female stories, it falls short of the super-high standard set by its predecessors.
Photo Credit – STC / Prudence Upton
I also felt, at times, that the performers were reciting lines of dialogue – with little variation in pitch – rather than truly reacting to each other.
That said, the story held my attention and the resolution took me somewhat by surprise.
My eyebrows sat in a Caterpillar Arch.
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