Sarah Corridon

Bernhardt/Hamlet tells the story of revered actor Sarah Bernhardt, who made history in 1899 when she became the first woman to play Hamlet on stage. In Melbourne Theatre Company’s current production, Sarah Bernhardt is embodied by Helpmann Award-winning actor, Kate Mulvany, who knows a thing or two about tackling Shakespeare’s biggest parts – in 2017 she played Richard III to numerous standing ovations. Undoubtedly, Melbourne Theatre Company’s new artistic director, Anne-Louise Sarks,has endured similar pressures to Bernhardt throughout her career; the kind where menquestion a woman’s ability to do the exact same task as their male counterparts. US playwright Theresa Rebeck’s 2018 play tackles this thinking and champions a woman who refuses to be hemmed in by the stale conventions of her time. Perhaps that’s why Sarks chose this backstage comedy as her big debut as artistic director. She’s taken a big swing here – on a play that requires an in-depth knowledge of theatre history to fully comprehend – and landed on a harmless, often joyous, but ultimately underwhelming night at the theatre. The first act is slow, grinding through rehearsal scenes of the play within a play. It’s a tried and tested trope, which theatre-makers seem to adore. Who wouldn’t like to peer backstage and eavesdrop on those rehearsal room conversations? Kate Mulvany rises to Bernhardt’s dizzying heights as the era’s most famous actress and breathes oxygen into some otherwise weary scenes. Diehard fans of