Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
May 12, 2018

Born in Liverpool in the UK, Willy Russell made his mark on British theatre in the 1980s with plays such as Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, and musicals like Blood Brothers, by putting down-to-earth, working class people on stage and giving them a voice, particularly women.

Shirley Valentine is a monologue by a 42-year old, Liverpudlian housewife who wonders how her life has become so depressingly narrow and dull. It opened in Liverpool in 1986. Two years later it moved to the West End where Pauline Collins starred in a production directed by Simon Callow. In 1989, Collins immortalised the character in a film based on the play.

Sharon Millerchip. Photograph © Anna Kucera

Mark Kilmurry, Artistic Director of Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, has been wanting to direct the play for five or more years with Sharon Millerchip as Shirley. When he first approached her, she was taking some time out from acting and said, ‘no’. But instead of offering it to someone else, he decided to wait. For the next few years, he kept returning to see if she was ready until finally she agreed.

You can see why Kilmurry decided to wait. Returning to...