Julia review | Melbourne Theatre Company

12 years ago, Julia Gillard delivered a speech that was voted as the most unforgettable moment of Australian TV history by Guardian readers. The "misogyny speech" was a heart pounding 15-minute parliamentary address by Australia's first and only female Prime Minister. In Julia, playwright Joanna Murray-Smith entrancingly brings to the stage pockets of the former Prime Minister's life, from when she was an 8-year-old child to her formative years and her ultimate ascension as Prime Minister of Australia while centering on this world famous speech.

Murray-Smith has done an exceptional job in not only showcasing these specific episodes of Gillard's life, but putting them together where the narrative can flow and build organically. While these may be stories that we know - like the barren fruit bowl and the infamous outcome of her professional relationship with Kevin Rudd - hearing them here, together, you begin to comprehend the enormity of abuse and harassment Gillard faced during her term as Prime Minister.

Gone Girls review | Gasworks Arts Park

It's been almost three years since Gone Girls debuted at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. A farcical, queer retelling of two of the most powerful women in politics - Julia Gillard and Julie Bishop - and the media scrutiny they endured due to their gender. With a new actor portraying Bishop and a story with far more creative license, this new season has a fresh energy and perspective on women in politics.

Once again, the performance by Patrick Livesey as Gillard is frighteningly accurate. A little exaggerated for comedic effect but it does not fall into caricature or a send-up of Gillard. Wearing Gillard's trademark pantsuit and jacket, Livesey allows the former Prime Minister to envelop them as her speech, language, movement and facial expressions are flawlessly depicted. Similarly, Annabel Larcombe proves to be a great pairing with Livesey, finding the confidence and outspoken attitude of the former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.

Gone Girls - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Julia Gillard and Julie Bishop had to put up with a lot of crap during their time in politics. Facing a daily barrage of sexism and personal attacks, it would be enough to send someone over the edge. Written and performed by Patrick Livesey and Esther Myles, Gone Girls is an explosive queer retelling of what happens when these two powerful figures are pushed to their limits in a dark political comedy of what was and what could have been.

Livesey and Myles have clearly done their homework on these women. Their impersonations are very authentic while also knowing what parts of their personalities and mannerisms to heighten. Livesey has an absolute ball as the power suited wearing Gillard, particularly in his physicality and speech patterns. Myles, with the slightly more challenging task of becoming the stern-faced and pragmatic Bishop, brilliantly finds the subtleties of the woman who kept her mouth shut in an attempt to realise her dream of being leader of this country.

While the individual performances are great, the two need to ensure they are on equal footing and not outshining each other when sharing scenes. Being in drag allows Livesey to play Gillard in a more exaggerated way than Myles is afforded with Bishop. There are scenes together where the energy between the two political leaders feels unbalanced, including their Question Time lip-syncing "battle", but it is executed in a way that you can easily overlook this.

Gone Girls - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

In the three years that she was Prime Minister, Julia Gillard successfully passed 561 legislative bills, a ratio that is unmatched by any other Prime Minister. For 11 years, Julie Bishop served as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party. They are both smart, successful women that have since left politics but that doesn't mean they've gone away with the two joining forces for a special Melbourne Fringe Festival show where they take down the patriarchy and tell Australia what it's really like to be women in politics.

Created by Patrick Livesey and Esther Myles, Gone Girls is inspired by the relentless abuse and attacks endured by these two women from both political parties and the media. "Julia became Prime Minister right when I was deep into high school debating and totally obsessed with my social studies teacher and debating coach, Ms Guilfoyle. She had a deep love for Julia and we spoke about her often so I realised pretty quickly where I stood politically," Livesey tells me. "We spent many a lesson baffled at the treatment she received by our media and it was the first time I remember thinking that maybe there was an alternative agenda going on there. Julia was my political awakening in the same way the Rio undies man had me realise I was gay."