Julia, Sydney Theatre Company and Canberra Theatre Centre, Playhouse, 3-11 Aug (and subsequently touring to Adelaide 16-31 Aug and sydney 5 Sep-12 Oct)

 Yes, I admit it, I'm a latecomer to Joanna Murray-Smith's theatrical exploration of Julia Gillard, but Sarah Goodes' production, and the performance of Justine Clarke in the central role, captured my imagination in a way that's rare. It's a bold production - few playwrights would be willing to take on a bio-play where the climax and centrepoint is 15 minutes of someone else's writing, nor would many directors choose a simple setting of a carpet, a few chairs and two mirrors by Renee Mulder - indeed, the mirrors are a challenge to any lighting designer, which Alexander Berlarge lights to pinpoint perfection -  and few actresses would choose a role where for much of the show there's no real attempt at a physical resemblance to the subject, and only intermittent attempts at vocal resemblance. 

But the strength of this show is that it dives deep into an individual and a moment, into modern political history, into something that captures the internal challenges of a strong capable leader in the middle of a firestorm. Murray-Smith recently had her mastery of the monologue shown off in "Bombshells", but here she's taking one particular life and one particular story from multiple angles - introducing us with an almost third-person narrative before moving the lead actress into a direct-address approach that gives as much priority to Gillard's internal turmoil as to her words and public thoughts. While the publicity is careful to state this is a play of developed surmise based on Gillard's statements and written words, there's a strong sense of empathy here. 

Clarke owns the stage in a performance that is deliberately rarely an impersonation - it's a personal, human take on a figure that became iconic and boiled down to a couple of key components (the voice, the hair, the jackets) - humanised, internalised, and then in the final moments captured in her own words, given full invective in a moment that is thoroughly prepared, contextualised and captured. 

It's a rich and powerful show that demands to be seen, essential modern Australian theatre.