Beloved Liverpudlian housewife Shirley Valentine roars back to life in an expertly realised, deeply touching solo performance from Natalie Bassingthwaighte. 

By turns deliciously funny, poignantly moving, and inspiringly uplifting, Willy Russell’s 1986 play Shirley Valentine remains ever relevant. Fashions may change but Shirley’s wit and wisdom prevail, drawing in the audience with hilarious observations on life before deftly pivoting to heart rending melancholy. 

First staged in 1986, Willy Russell’s ever-popular meaty monologue Shirley Valentine wowed the West End and Broadway in the late 1980s, with stage star Pauline Collins also playing her signature role in the much-loved 1989 film. Russell expanded the one-woman stage play for a full movie cast, with Shirley’s stories being seen rather than just told. 

In the late 1980s and then in an extensive tour from 1993, Australia’s Shirley Valentine was Amanda Muggleton (who attended the opening night of this new Australian production to cheer on the next generation).

Director Lee Lewis successfully mines the material to highlight the beating heart of emotional truth at its centre. Some brand names and places may be unfamiliar, but Shirley’s plight as an unappreciated wife and mother rings true. In today’s light, Shirley description of Joe’s callous ingratitude for his dinner, pushing back the plate so it tips over Shirley, would rightly be seen as spousal abuse. 

Handsomely produced, act one takes place in a completely realistic 1980s kitchen before we head off to the sparkling coast of Greece in act two. Designer Simone Romaniuk provides myriad details in the kitchen, including a working stove where Shirley actually cooks chips and egg for ungrateful husband Joe. The Grecian setting is more abstract, with a creatively conceived grid of metallic blue squares swaying gently in the light to neatly suggest the shimmering waters. 

In the 1980s, 42 years old was apparently considered middle-aged. Romaniuk successfully makes Bassingthwaighte a little frumpier in a fluffy, roly-poly pink jumper and then a blouse teal dress. The silken robe that neighbour Gillian gifts Shirley is a gorgeous piece and Bassingthwaighte looks suitably elegant wearing it in act two. 

Lighting designer Paul Jackson subtly adds focus by dimming the stage in more serious, reflective moments. Sound designer Marcello Lo Ricco ensures that every word is cleanly heard, balanced over the frying dinner and the gently atmospheric musical contributions of composer Brady Watkins.

In an extraordinary opening night achievement, Natalie Bassingthwaighte presents an impressively “lived in” performance. Beginning softly and plainly, Bassingthwaighte delivers a finely calibrated arc, drawing the audience towards her with the early humorous anecdotes then switching to poignancy so swiftly that the seams do not even register. 

The compelling nature of Bassingthwaighte’s performance is seen not just in the rousing standing ovation but in the silent rapt attention throughout the play from the capacity audience. 

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Bassingthwaighte’s work is the palpable visual difference she conveys in the fabulously free Shirley in act two. Shimmeringly radiant, Bassingthwaighte glows with the inner joy and peace experienced by Shirley in Greece. The frustrating oppression of Shirley’s servitude back home is keenly felt throughout act one, making her subsequent glorious transformation all the more cathartic and thrilling. 

Not just thoroughly enjoyable, this revival of Shirley Valentine is set to inspire a new generation of theatregoers, challenging the audience to consider whether they are fully living all the life they have been given. 

“…I was no longer Shirley the neighbour, Shirley the middle-aged mother, Shirley Bradshaw. 

I had become Shirley the Sensational, Shirley the Brave, Shirley Valentine.”

Shirley Valentine plays at Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne until 16 February 2025. For tickets, click here. 

Photos: Brett Boardman