Stella: A New Australian Musical — A Triumph Seven Years in the Making
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Date Reviewed: 13/06/2026
After seven years in development, Monique diMattina's musical vision championing Australian writer Stella Miles Franklin has finally arrived on stage and it is without exaggeration worth every moment of the wait.
Franklin was a pioneer of her time: a 1890’s bush girl from the Snowy Mountains who refused to surrender to country life and the safety of marriage. She packed her quill and her fire to set sail for America and London, determined to be the change she wanted to see in the world. Behind her, she left a father who wanted his "little dragon" to find her treasure and bloom, a mother clinging to tradition and the unity of the household, a brother loyal to the family tribe and a sister who remained her confidante in formative years. Her journey was never an easy one with risks, setbacks, public criticism and bittersweet joys colouring every step of the way and the production meticulously captures this complexity with remarkable honesty.
This is a show built by many hands and that collaborative care is evident in every detail. Franklin’s story shines on stage as a testament to how art, music and literature connect us to our best selves. What then unfolds is pure magic. The five cast members never once leaving the stage transform in plain sight as their raw, unguarded changes become part of the storytelling itself. Their personas, voices and body language shift in an instant, embodying over forty-five characters between them with astonishing clarity and conviction. The vocal performances are nothing short of spine-tingling, harmonies so precise, so perfectly in tune, that they raise goosebumps and linger long after the final note. Each character portrayal, however fleeting, is rendered with such honesty and skill that every character feels fully realised. It is an extraordinary feat of versatility, stamina and artistry.
Stella is both raw and clever, and instead of concealing the mechanics of theatre it lays them bare. The band shares the stage with the cast. The lighting, costume and makeup have been woven together with precision, each piece serving the story rather than simply decorating it. The scattering of furniture, a table, bench, desk, four chairs and a doorway become an engine of transformation, carrying the audience between the pivotal moments of Franklin’s life and creative awakening. Particular praise is due to set designer Nick Fry and costume designer Isla Shaw, whose deceptively simple elements do extraordinary work: a bench shifted or a shawl wrapped around the shoulders suddenly draws us into a different decade, a different world. In celebrating Franklin’s life, the production simultaneously celebrates the craft of theatre-making itself and the two threads move in seamless harmony.
Stunning, intentional and deeply moving, Stella honours both Franklin’s contribution to Australian cultural life and the art form that brings her story to life. This is musical theatre at its most accomplished. Be part of history and see this for yourself.
Reviewed by Sandra Lee