Melbourne Writers Theatre

Behind every Australian sportswoman, there’s an unsung heroine who blazed the trail …

Causing a fluttering of hearts with their risqué bathing costumes in 1912, winning the hearts of cricket fans across the nation in 1958, and getting to the heart of what it means to be an Australian Sportswoman in 2021 – Olympic hopes high, but who’s doing the school drop-off today? – the women featured in The Best, The Fairest, The First will surprise and delight you.

From Fanny Durack and Mina Wylie, the first women to compete in an Olympic swimming event, to local legend Betty Wilson, the first cricketer ever to score a centenary and take ten wickets in a Test, The Best, The Fairest, The First turns back the pages of Australian history to uncover some remarkable sporting Firsts – unsung heroines who, against the odds, blazed a trail for the stars of today. In this collection of short plays, champion marathon runner Sinead Diver is also celebrated, together with unstoppable local athlete Monica Wong – and a Paralympic gold medallist whose achievements are nothing short of extraordinary.

Created for International Women’s Day 2021, The Best, The Fairest, The First follows on from the one-night show The Best and Fairest, which was presented at Gasworks for IWD 2020.

RUNNING TIME: 75 mins approx, no interval
WHERE: Gasworks Theatre
ACCESSIBILITY: Wheelchair Accessible

Credits
WRITTEN BY: Adéle Shelley, Mazz Ryan, Clare Mendes
DIRECTION: Elizabeth Walley & Assistant Direction by Mazz Ryan
PRODUCTION: Clare Mendes
CAST: Emma Cox, Cosima Gilbert, Rebecca Quin, Cindy Leigh, Sarah Hamilton, Isabella Gilbert, Monica Wong, Alec Gilbert, Marli van der Bijl
SET & COSTUME DESIGN: Elizabeth Walley