Arcadian’s Theatre Group: Well Behaved Women - Review by Benjamin Olivera

For those who aren’t as familiar with musical theatre, a song cycle is a collection of songs coupled together where they all represent a particular theme, topic or point of concern to address. Some of them are poorly written, whilst other’s themes are vague and not clear to interpret. Neither of these things describe Carmel Dean’s “Well Behaved Women”however as it is a powerful and active collection of works that is malleable to use and opens much discussion from audiences beyond the theatre. I am of the strong belief that song cycles should be done more in the Australian theatre to provoke further discussion around the themes of musical theatre and how they align with the modern day; but I digress. Arcadian’s Theatre Group’s production of “Well Behaved Women” stuck true to these strong elements of the show, especially in a day and age where these themes are at the forefront of societal discussion.

First-time director Isabelle Tannous brings a strong essence of power to this show, being extremely clear with her vision for the show. Local women, local talent empowering and highlighting the impactful women that came before, both in Australia and around the globe. She clearly knew every woman mentioned in the show back to the front and did her due diligence ensuring that they were portrayed in their best light possible, which can also be hard as modern pop and cancel culture changes so frequently. Her prowess here truly shined though this lens in particular, ensuring that every performance was grounded, genuine and true to the character. There were moments of the show where I wished that the staging aligned a bit more with each character as I felt that in some numbers, the characters felt a little bit trapped on stage, thus contrasting the vision. However, these moments were few and far between as Tannous managed to find a way to make each of the performers shine regardless of how alike they were to the women that they represented, which is one of the hardest tasks a director has to do… done flawlessly.

Producer and Musical Director Luc-Pierre Tannous can now also add ‘token man’ onto his prolific CV. It was extremely inspiring to see his passion for both this show and music be poured into the empowerment and uplifting of women. This is definitely something that I hope to see more of in Sydney, both in the theatre space but also in everyday life. The music was clean and polished, highlighting Tannous’ clear knowledge of the score but also vocal stylings needed for each song. There were definitely some personal standouts for me, and normally this was where everyone, band and cast felt comfortable, grounded and free to express the emotions of the song. Songs such as “The Water is Where” held such power and emotional vulnerability within them; especially with the beautiful editions of Lauren Shaw on violin, who’s countermelodic inflections were truly the icing on the cake. In contrast, “Stay and Fight” commended the room and brought such strength and power that transcended the stage, helped by Aya Ghachi’s free-flowing and soulful electric guitar riffs. As an addition, the inclusion of an all-female band was a fantastic cherry on-top of this show; not that it affected the sound in a better way, but further impressed the overall vision and purpose of having the production be performed.

Led by this incredible sibling duo, was an equally as incredible, diverse and talented cast. Hannah Gleeson had so much clarity and diction in her portrayal of Eve, Janet Armstrong and Sonia Sotomayor. Her clarity onstage helped the storyline to truly shine through which is especially as important given that she begins the show and sets up the audience for what is to come. Jayda Ciocci’s presence on stage is one to be envied. Every time she graced the stage, she had the audience perfectly wrapped around her fingers. Her vocals were smooth, warm and velvety topped off with a beautiful touch of vulnerability which resulted in such a monumenous performance in all roles. Rebekah Mowbray, as Virginia Woolf & Sandra Day O’Connor, is such a phenomenal story teller and I was captivated by her journey that she took during her song, which can be challenging sue to its length. She was able to skilfully guide the audience through the tragic story and keep them wanting more, even with just the smallest facial expression.

Jesse Cleal, as Julia Gillard, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Mina Wylie, is a force to be reckoned with as she navigates comedy, heartfelt moments and powerhouse vocals with the greatest of ease. From the moment she starts her songs to the final note you can tell she knows exactly why she is there and what she intends to convey to her audience which is exactly what is needed from a song cycle. This results in an extremely grounded and genuine performance. Kristin Mitchell’s Mary Magdaline and Fanny Durack was so honest and expressive, having to play two polar opposite people one song after the other. This skill was one that she clearly had refined to a tee,well before the show week. Mitchell was able to balance the emotions associated with the battles that women fight everyday perfectly with the earnestness of the emotions that fuel their passions and beliefs that they bring. These two balanced perfectly in my personal favourite number of the show “The Water is Where” in which their vocals were perfectly balanced, the lighting was just right and it was situated at a point in the story where their passion and drive infused every performance that came before and afterwards. Goosebumps… chills… all of the good things. Brava!

Michaela Hewitt brought a beautifully vulnerable portrayal to the stage of Frida Kahlo, as well as portraying Elena Kagan. Her ability to create vivid imagery using just her voice was extremely powerful from an audience perspective and gave further depth to Frida being more than just an artist. Last, but certainly not least, is Victoria Hamilton who played both Boudicca and Billie Jean King, two strong and passionate woman from two very different eras. The strength and self-assurance that she brought to the stage flowed right into the audience and into our very souls. Her drive and confidence was evident and oozed effortlessly from her performance, making the message of reclaiming their power and voice all the more captivating and resonant.  

The set design, conceived by The Tannous Duo, was so refreshing to see on a community theatre stage and centred around simplicity and highlighting the performers. The design also worked as an aide to give the audience a little further insight into who each impactful woman was. These visual media designs were beautifully crafted, however were more helpful and clear in some numbers than others which were occasionally vague.

Lighting, designed and operated by Amelie Hutchins, was striking and powerful when it needed to be whilst also being soft and complimentary when needing to. There were definitely numbers that lacked the same precision as the stronger, and I wish the facial lighting when performers were up on the platform was a bit clearer and centred. However, this doesn’t detract from the emotional layers that the lighting added to this song cycle. Audio, operated by Amelie Downie, was clear and prominent in such a small space. The Miner’s lamp is a theatre that is very difficult to balance sound in, especially with a live band that is visible and onstage in the same space. Adding on top of that, song cycles often lend themselves to a diversity in voices, which often are also hard to balance, both vocally and through and audio lens. This made some of the quietest and loudest portions of songs harder to understand the lyricism due to this fluctuating balance. However, Downie should be highly commended for her versatility in this job, whilst also balancing the job of Stage Managing (and from the back of the room at that!).

Costumes, compiled and presented by Emma Dyson & Louise Hutchinson was clear, aligned with the directorial vision with a pleasant modern twist which was refreshing to see. Song cycles transcend time and thus can be set in any context as chosen by the director. I loved that every woman on that stage looked so comfortable in their skin, making sure that their focus was on the material. This isn’t the case often, especially in community theatre so Dyson & Hutchinson should be proud that their hard-working efforts have paid off in ten-fold.

Overall, in the contemporary context of 2026 in the Illawarra, Well Behaved Women is far more than a clever musical homage. It is a vibrant reclamation and celebration of women’s voices that history often softened, sidelined, or silenced. Through its richly varied song cycle, Arcadian’s Theatre Group have threaded wit, defiance, vulnerability, and triumph into a tapestry that feels both intimate and expansive. Whilst the jury is still out about whether or not I believe song cycles belong in community theatre, I think that the message of this show overrides any of that. Each piece in this show lingers like a conversation with the past, reminding us that the women who shaped the world were rarely quiet, rarely compliant, and never easily contained. Women deserve their voice to not only be heard but to be actioned… so Australian, let’s rise with the women in our lives and ensure that every voice is heard equally.