Theatre Review | Fly Girl

Fly Girl                      

by Genevieve Hegney and Catherine Moore

Director Janine Watson

Ensemble Theatre until November 22 

Reviewed by Ron Lee, CSP

Have you ever seen a stage production in which you can’t imagine any other actor or actress in the lead role? It normally happens when there have been no precedents. Significantly, the Australian premiere of Les Misérables in 1987 revealed the talents of Philip Quast. His Javert defined the role, set the benchmark, and no other performer has since been his equal. The first Australian production of The Rocky Horror Show in 1974 (a year before the film) spoiled subsequent productions for me because Arthur Dignam as The Narrator and Kate Fitzpatrick as Magenta have not been matched.

Back to the play at the Ensemble Theatre. Fly Girl is based on the life, times and career of Deborah Laurie who was the first female to pilot for a large commercial airline in Australia. In 1971, at age 18, Lawrie obtained her private pilot licence and her commercial pilot licence in 1973. Despite continually applying to Ansett to be on the pilot training programme, she was rejected. 

This was at a time when nobody had thought of women pilots, and men on the roads were often heard to yell out. “WOMAN DRIVER!” Do that that today and you risk being crucified. Reg Ansett was old school.

Then came the Equal Opportunity Board and the Women's Electoral Lobby. Game on. After long and gruelling court battles, Laurie piloted her first Ansett jet in January, 1980.

More than twenty characters are played by scriptwriters Catherine Moore and Genevieve Hegney as well as Emma Palmer and Alex Kirwan. The actresses parts, both male and female, have been written with a good amount of comedy and allow for some improv which they enthusiastically embrace, especially considering some of the rapid costume changes.

The hosties talk to the audience members as travellers which is probably intentionally corny, but funny none-the-less. 

Director Janine Watson shows awareness with her balancing the almost slapstick obviousness of the hosties with the blandness of Deborah’s husband and the intensities of each stage of Deborah’s emotional journey.

For the set, Grace Deacon turns the small Ensemble Theatre stage into an airport, complete with a large sign that clicks over to announce the scenes. Scene changes are facilitated through the use of a 1950s Laminex-topped dining table, a few suitcases and five orange, 1960s-style swivel chairs.

This production of Fly Girl thrives or dies on the casting of the lead because the action revolves around her, which brings us to Cleo Meinck who evolves from a young teenager who has a dream that she doesn’t know she can’t achieve to a young woman who has the determination and persistence to overcome societal, cultural and corporate traditions to realise her destiny. There can be only one outcome. Meinck’s stage presence is compelling and she’s always in the moment, responding and reacting to each impulse with an intense, single-minded focus on her goal. She’s a fine actress/actor whose career I will follow and no, I can’t imagine anyone else in the role.

On opening night we were privileged to see the real Deborah Laurie take the stage for the curtain call. Now aged in her early seventies, she’s still flying and I will be looking at her biography.

An airline play that I saw a while ago was Come From Away in which the central character is a female pilot. It was interesting at best.

Contrastingly, Fly Girl is one of the most engaging and moving pieces of theatre that I have seen. When a jaded, discerning and cynical theatre critic leaks a couple of tears, something special is happening.

In pursuing her destiny, Deborah Laurie has inspired men, women and children to follow their dream, go after their passion and treat each obstacle as a stepping stone that will pull them closer.

So should you go to see Fly Girl?

Opening night audiences are usually enthusiastic but this one clapped, cheered and encouraged the heroine whenever she had even a small win, and I wasn’t the only one who shed a tear.

Fly Girl is ultimately one of the funniest, most enjoyable, inspirational, moving and uplifting theatrical experiences, and Cleo Meinck’s performance is worth the price of admission. With several outstanding offerings in Sydney at the moment, you won’t have any regrets if you put Fly Girl at the top of your to-see list.