Bombshells, Echo Theatre, The Q, 18-27 July

Joanna Murray-Smith is one of the busier Australian writers at the moment - she's in a bit of a boom time, between the ongoing touring season of "Julia" in various places around the country, the recent revival of "Switzerland" and her adaptation of "Uncle Vanya at the Ensemble, plus this production of her 2001 set of monologues, originally written as a virtuoso piece for Caroline O'Connor to play six seperate women from teenager to sixty-something-widow, all facing various levels of crisis. 

In this production it's played by six actresses, all giving powerhouse performances making it impossible to pick a favourite section - from Amy Kowalczuk's Beckettian stream-of-consciousness as an exhausted mother overwhelming herself with guilt to Kate Harris' speech about cacti where her personal subtext inevitably takes over, to Sally Taylor's enthusiastic competitive teen performer at the school talent show, Ella Buckley's bride on her wedding day realising increasing desperation as the big moment arrives, Alice Ferguson's widow finding her highly structured life after bereavement interrupted by a surprising encounter and Lainie Hart's visiting Cabaret star, barely aware where she is but preoccupied by her own personal crises.

Jordan Best's production keeps all 6 in view at all times, all in their separate zones of the stage, perfectly designed for them each by Roz Hall, with careful lighting by Jacob Acquilina - and between scenes we glimpse all six women as William and Jordan Best's music plays easing us between scenes, in Jens Nordstrom's witty, appropriate costumes. It's a fine presentation of the material - elegant and intimate, as we get full access to these women's individual spaces and dilemmas. 

Intriguingly, the scripts for each of the pieces have been localised but not updated - references to Laura Bush and returning videos keep these in the early 2000s when the plays were first written - though the emotional issues of different ages of women chasing contentment in relationships, in parenthood, in public acclaim, and in their personal rituals, still rings very true. 

This is a beautiful production showcasing 6 extrordinarily talented women, and is absolutely to be embraced - it's funny, emotional and rings deeply true. Murray-Smith's explorations of the challenges of contemporary women of all ages is a delightful, rich experience absolutely to be embraced and taken to your heart. 

 (Photos by Photox Canberra Photography Services)