Bonny and Read is a new Australian musical by Emily Whiting and Aiden Smith currently playing as part of the ArtsLab: Collide festival in Redfern. Based on real historical figures, the musical follows pirate co-captain Anne Bonny (Anka Kosanovic) and her crew’s life on the high seas during the Golden Age of Piracy. Amongst this crew are Anne’s lover Calico Jack (Ben James), and their fellow crewmates Jonny and Pierre (Eli Reilly and Roya), as well as a captured Mark Read (Gabi Lanham), a pirate from an enemy ship.
Read ends up helping our crew defeat an enemy ship captained by Anne’s ex-lover James Bonny (Louis Chiu), whilst also revealing his identity as female pirate Mary Read, and falling in love with Anne along the way.
This musical does a fantastic job of exploring the complex contradictions involved in being a woman with power in history. Anne and Mary discuss how much harder they have to work to earn the respect of their fellow pirates but how this work often doesn’t pay off, as often they are viewed only as desirable for their beauty and companionship, rather than being respected as leaders and crewmates. They discuss how even the men who promise to treat them well end up treating them as more needy and less independent than they have proven themselves to be.
The writing of the show exemplifies these paradoxes by portraying this struggle from two different perspectives. Mary chooses to hide her gender to overcome the discrimination she would otherwise face, whereas Anne, fiercely proud of her identity, insists on her own success despite how she is perceived by others.
The strong-willed characterisation of these women is reinforced by the fantastic acting of the show’s leads, Kosanovic and Lanham. The scenes between them, from sword-fighting classes that display their chemistry to arguments between them on what women bring to pirate ships, to their transition into fighting as a united front were lovely to see unfold. One of the final lyrics of the musical really brings home the idea our two female leads profess: that finding others in similar situations can help us find and stand up for ourselves, “With you, I can finally be true to myself / No need to be anyone else”.
The supporting cast was also integral to the show, with Reilly and Roya adding fantastic comedic overtones that balanced the tension in more serious scenes. The effect of the complex romantic entanglements between the characters was greatly enhanced by James and Chiu’s delivery of strongly held opposing views towards Bonny and Read’s arguments, fantastically showcasing how a range of perspectives on love and women intersect with each other in complex ways.
The music was another true highlight of the show. The dynamic and strong vocals from all cast members added hugely to the production, especially in the spectacular harmonies and polyphonic lines created by composer Aiden Smith. The backing soundtrack also fits the themes of the show delightfully, helping immerse the audience into the sea-shanty-filled yet adventurous and dangerous life on the sea that these pirates lived. The presence of music during dialogue scenes also added a fantastic soundscape that helped blend the show together further.
The staging was simple, yet creative, and the set elevated through the many ways it was interacted with. Especially striking was the work done with shadow behind the sail set piece, which added tension in allowing other characters to be listening in on scenes they are not present in The movability of the sail led to many satisfying reveals.
Overall, this was an impressive musical to watch, especially considering it was created over a six month period. Stories portraying the experiences of women and queer people throughout history are incredibly important, especially in areas where the focus has so far been largely on the exploits of men. This musical was a fantastic addition to the growing number of retellings of historical women’s stories in recent years, and I hope it inspires audiences to learn more about the women involved in pirate history and beyond.
Bonny and Read runs this week on Wednesday to Friday at 6pm, and at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, at the Artslab: Collide festival in Redfern.
