REVIEW – By Jake Freeman
When Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away in 2020, it was only a matter of time that her life story would be told. After all, by the time Ginsburg had passed, she had become something of a pop culture icon, gracing the covers of countless magazines. Her image was on everything, from bobbleheads to coffee mugs and she was nicknamed the Notorious RBG, a play on the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.
Now, her life is brought to the stage by lawyer turned playwright Suzie Miller in the one-woman play RBG: Of Many, One, with Heather Mitchell in the starring role. RBG: Of Many, One follows the most pivotal moments of the life and career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first Jewish woman and the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Her Court tenure made Ginsburg one of the most important political figures of the last quarter century.
The story begins on a warm August night in 1993. An anxious Ruth Bader Ginsburg is impatiently waiting by the phone, expecting a call from the newly elected President Bill Clinton on whether or not she is appointed to one of the nine positions on the U.S Supreme Court bench. Over the next 95 minutes, Ruth’s life is told in a non-linear narrative, often moving backwards and forwards in lengthy flashbacks. Heather Miller plays Ginsburg from the ages of 13 to 87.
The play focuses on her time at law school, meeting her husband, entering the workplace, her role in several landmark cases then in her final years during the Trump administration. Ginsburg died from pancreatic cancer in 2020, a condition she had been battling on and off for over a decade.
Heather Mitchell flawlessly channels as Ginsburg, right down to the hair, glasses and perfecting her nasal Brooklyn accent. A talented impressionist, Mitchell’s voice and accent extends to a wide range of different characters including her husband and granddaughter, as well as presidents Clinton, Obama and Trump. Her impressions often led the audience in stitches, most notably her Clinton one.
Heather is witty and entertaining and was able to hold the audience’s attention span across 95 minutes without a break. Being a one person show brought an extra layer of emotional intimacy and closeness to the play, making you feel you were there alongside Ginsburg on her journey.
The stage set up was simple yet effective, quite often nothing more than a chair and a coffee table, aided by clever colour palettes in the lighting design and excellent use of sounds and effects including the real-life background audio of the Women’s March in Washington.
Even if you are not a follower of American politics, RBG: Of Many, One, is still accessible to grasp and understand, although the jumping back and forth in the story’s timeframe may confuse some. Witty, emotional, moving, controversial, it is worth seeing in the short time it is here.
RBG Of Many, One is directed by Priscilla Jackman, written by Suzie Miller and stars Heather Mitchell. The performance is playing for a short season, until and including Sunday 12 May at The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne at 100 St Kilda Rd, a short walk from Flinders Street Station.
RBG Of Many, One contains coarse language, adult themes, theatrical smoke and has moments of sudden complete darkness throughout performance. It is recommended for mature audience.
The show’s run time is 1 hour and 35 minutes and has no intermission.
To buy tickets and learn more about the show, go to RBG: Of Many, One | Arts Centre Melbourne
