melbourne

It’s NOT about make-up….

Playing at Clayton in Melbourne 10-19 October 2025 with Encore Theatre. Written by Neil Anthony Docking. Directed by David Krause.

The play is set over the course of one evening, in a room above a pub, eight months after the 1966 Aberfan Disaster in Wales.

Much more than just a difficult story to tell. 116 children were killed (mostly aged 7 – 10) when a landslide engulfed their school. Teachers were taken with them and including some others the death toll total pulled out of this mining catastrophe at 144.

Heavy rain hit the region and a coal waste tip spilled down the hill in slurry to the town directly below. Exactly in its pathway was the Pantglas Junior School where 109 children fell victim of a chronic example in poor decision making and grossly ignored warnings. The National Coal Board were found to have been extremely negligent in its handling of the coal tips, built on unstable ground and known to be on top of springs.

‘The Revlon Girl’ is about a group of local women tragically having lost their child or children in the devastating occurrence and also having grown up together themselves. They organise a ‘Revlon’ make-up representative to come out to see them at one of their get-togethers for some uplifting ‘beauty tips’. She arrives in a fancy car and brings her product samples of new colours and shiny lipsticks along with friendly education of how to look and feel better, but can these things actually make a difference? These women are going through what no mother should ever have to endure.

The play opens with pictures from the actual event, video and sombering sound effects, so anyone watching can clearly visualize and feel in the pit of their stomach that awful day. However, gratefully, it isn’t long before little funny moments too are presented in the script and such continues all the way through the play, bringing welcome lightheartedness reprieve from serious darkness.

Perfectly cast, the personalities of the women are all very different; it appears that Sian is organised and more positive, Rona is loud and overpowering, Jean holds onto the power of prayer, Marilyn is delicate and showing intense grief. ‘The Revlon girl’ is just there trying to make a difference in whatever way she can; after donating to the disaster memorial fund, she volunteered with the company to visit the women – beauty cases in tow, but Charlotte’s own story of loss will come to be told amongst the bereavement later.

Though we immediately know that Marilyn is still suffering immensely as she uneasily steps into the room, it quickly becomes apparent that all these mothers, having been dealt the same tragic experience, are dealing with the event’s aftermath as best they can, whilst trying to be supportive to each other. They do not agree on everything, they have different perspectives on what is now important and what should be done, but they all tell a story of their child/ren, the hopes they had for them, their very special and unforgettable memories that will never leave their hearts or minds.

Watching this play as a mother myself was challenging at times; the acting of all women is very real and each character has both tenderness and fierceness that every mother can empathize with – hopefully we never experience to this velocity. You send your children to school and they don’t come home. Nothing would hit you faster and harder.

It is no wonder that Marilyn still waits for her two girls to come home (the way that line was delivered will stay with me). No surprise that Rona does not want to queue for anything anymore after waiting in line for an eternity to view her son’s body. It is confusing to Jean as to why God has given her another baby on the way (a ‘surprise’ conceived just before the disaster), but took the one she wanted. Sian wants another baby, she wants her husband to look at her again, to share again, to love again.

These women all miss their beloveds more than they’ll ever verbally be able to express. The play shows how much and how differently they cope, but they do cope, they do help one another. It’s NOT just lipstick!

The play is set in a simple one room scene; couch, chairs, pictures and a leaky skylight causing some concern (rainwater understandably heightens anxiety here), though I barely noticed what was around the well-designed stage set and in the accurate costuming of 60s clothing in detail, because the actual grit story being told by these excellent actresses is one I couldn’t take my attention away from. You may want to sometimes, but I doubt you can. It’s an important message on top of the actual happening, and an honour to have produced in the memory of all those lost and the parents and loved ones left behind.

All in all, I highly recommend!

Cast:
Bella Barker as Revlon
Keziah Gillam as Rona
Kate Lawson as Marilyn
Emma Spencer as Sian
Kelly Williams as Jean

Ticket link: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1432366

Venue: Clayton Theatrette, 9-15 Cooke St, Clayton. Easy parking and access for wheelchairs.
Running time: 90 mins (no interval)
Tea and Coffee is served after the show and this group are always up for a chat about how the show was decided upon, set put together and worked on – they are a lovely bunch of people and anyone can be involved doing something on their excellent productions: https://encoretheatre.com.au/get-involved/

Note: This production includes themes of child loss and grief.
If you have lost a child and require support, please reach out:
https://projexj.org/
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

To book tickets to Revlon Girl, please visit https://encoretheatre.com.au/season-1/.

Photographer: Dave Swann

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