Playwright’s Note: Genevieve Hegney & Catherine Moore, FLY GIRL
It was January 2023 when the Artistic Director of Ensemble Theatre, Mark Kilmurry, emailed us an article, his wife Jacqui had sent him, about an Australian pilot named Deborah Lawrie. He asked if we’d be keen to write a play based on her story believing we’d bring a sense of “the comic (and dramatic) to this woman’s great struggle.”
The article, which spoke of Deb’s fight against Reg Ansett to become Australia’s first female commercial airline pilot was incredibly compelling. But it was the fact Reg believed Air Hostesses were “old boilers” by age 28 and that women’s menstrual cycles made them “unsuitable” to fly planes that convinced us we were the right “old boilers” to tell this story.
We ended up down a rabbit hole; amazed and dumbfounded not only by what Deb had been through but also that we were not aware of this incredible woman. We emailed Mark and said that if we could have genius director Janine Watson along for the ride we were up to the challenge of trying to write this; inspirational, sprawling, legal, political, personal play that would require a cast of fifty actors. He replied, “You can have five!”
In the late 70’s, at just 25 years old, Deborah Lawrie withstood the most unbelievable pressure for more than 18 months to become the first person to win a case under the Sex Discrimination Act. Her win paved the way for all Australian working women. Deb is a trailblazer in the true sense of the word. Over the last few years, we have had the privilege of getting to know the woman behind the legend. Deb is quietly formidable, unpretentious, witty and has more humility than one would expect from someone who has had such a profound effect on the world. She has been gracious and abundantly generous in sharing her life story with us.
We would like to thank The Commissioners’ Circle for whose financial support allowed us to develop this play. Mark Kilmurry for seeing the playwright within each of us before we saw it in ourselves. And for his continuing support. Director Janine Watson our North Star whose remarkable artistic talent, wholehearted commitment and deep intelligence has helped to shape this new work. And Deb Lawrie for trusting us to tell her story.
Genevieve Hegney and Catherine Moore
FLY GIRL lands 17 Oct – 22 Nov, don’t miss the world premiere of this soaring celebration of one woman’s relentless fight to achieve her dreams.