Lola Montez died
when she was 42. And when she was 90. And also when she was 36 and 64 years of
age. She died on stage and on a ship. She breathed her last breath in Melbourne
and also in Bavaria. So unpredictable and unique was this Irish actor /
entertainer's life that it was only a matter of time before a show was created
about her, and who better to do that than Moira Finucane and Jackie Smith with The
Exotic Lives of Lola Montez. A red curtain runs along the back of the stage, with Lola's name hanging on a piece of wood. A chest rests in the middle of the floor, again inscribed with her name. The large, near-empty performance space at Her Majesty's Ballarat could easily dwarf a lesser performer, but fortunately Caroline Lee as the eponymous entertainer (herself a direct descendant of Lola) easily fills the stage with the energy and enthusiasm that Lola would no doubt have possessed. Finucane's signature large, bold movements are evident in her direction, while ensuring that we get to see a vulnerable and (somewhat) honest side to Lola.