Review: RBG: Of Many, One at Heath Ledger Theatre

RBG: Of Many, One at Heath Ledger Theatre
Saturday, April 4, 2026 

It’s not often one gets to see an entire theatre giving a standing ovation so long that the performer has to return to the stage three times for bows during a matinee, to boot. But, then again, it’s not often one gets to see a work as flawlessly presented as RBG: Of Many, One. Brought for the second time to Perth by Sydney Theatre Company and Black Swan State Theatre Company, this one-woman show is brilliantly performed and beautifully designed with fantastically effective lighting, sound and set, and the writing… whoaaa boy. The writing? Pretty much perfect.

The stage is entirely empty to start. The show begins in a complete black-out accompanied by epic, cinematic music (befitting such an epic subject). We catch a brief glimpse of RBG, played by the brilliant Heather Mitchell. She’s bathed in a spotlight, hitting only from the shoulders up—almost like a portrait. It’s sharp at first, then becomes ethereal, dreamlike, and fades back to black-out as quickly as it came in. Suddenly, in a tremendously tight transition, setting the bar for every transition to come, when the lights come back up, we’re in Ginsburg’s living room in 1993 as she’s waiting for a call from President Clinton to find out whether or not she’s reached the pinnacle—to become a judge of the Supreme Court. Here, as throughout, the set is spare, but effective. A seat, an end table, and a telephone is surrounded by a beautiful soft spotlight, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of this specific place during a very particular moment. Again, there is this dream-like quality. After all—regardless of where we’re at in the story—these are Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s memories, narrated to us by Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

All credit to designer David Fleischer and lighting designer Alexander Berlage. The storytelling uses flashbacks (and often flashbacks during flashbacks during flashbacks!), and the effective lighting and set provide specificity to each time period and memory as told by the supremely talented Mitchell. This, along with gorgeous sound design by composer Paul Charlier, is crucial in a work which employs a chronology of non-linear time. An example of these three elements coming together in perfect harmony comes from an earlier scene—one of many standouts. RBG flashes back to her sixteen-year-old self, at her first opera—a lifelong passion. There is but a seat on the stage. Mitchell is lit. The back curtains suddenly transform into a deep, plush red. It is magnificent. The operatic music swells; Mitchell describes this formative memory from within it, tears streaming from her eyes. They glitter like diamonds on her cheeks. We are there with her. It’s breathtaking. From now on, every milestone, every high point of RBG’s story, is bolstered by operatic music, providing a powerful through-line.

Heather Mitchell took out best performer in a leading role in a mainstream production at the Sydney Theatre Awards in 2023 for this role, and it’s not hard to see why. Director Priscilla Jackman says it perfectly in her Director’s Note: “Not only is Heather required to convincingly become the iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg, from 13 years of age to 87 inclusive, but also to inhabit every other role in the play.” This includes three presidents: Clinton, Obama, and Trump. Having worked with voice and dialect coach Jennifer White, Mitchell presents each of their unique parlances with utter clarity, capturing their cadence and quirky vernacular. In fact, her complete characterisation of each character, their voice, yes, but also their hand gestures and posture, evoke their body language superbly.

Perhaps most impressive is her complete metamorphoses into the titular character. Her accent and diction is on-point. She brims with RBG’s energy and embodies her commanding presence. As we reach the latter stages, Mitchell transforms into an elderly lady; not only one of the most hard-working ladies who have ever lived, but also one who did so with multiple cancer diagnoses along the way. This gives the audience a grimly clear representation of just how advanced in her years and physically, if not mentally, unwell the iconic Supreme Court Justice really seemed towards the end of her career. The impact of this cannot be overstated—the general refrain since all the terrors that have occurred in the US justice system since Ginsburg finally stepped down was that she should have retired much earlier. For many an Australian, this has only ever been something we’ve read about, but through Mitchell’s immaculate portrayal of the older Ginsburg, the audience gets to see and experience Ginsburg the way that Americans did, providing beautifully enriching context to this historical moment.

A moment of digression now to mention the high calibre of every transition. Every scene, set, lighting change and flashback or forward in time is clean, sharp, and perfect. Mitchell has several costume changes, and they occur miraculously quickly. She’s onstage the entire time, so one must assume she had the help of exceptionally proficient stagehands during short blackouts with often complex costume changes. Bravo! It’s underestimated how much such sharp transitions complete a work, adding a tremendously satisfying element to the overall audience experience.

Equally satisfying is director Jackman’s dramaturgical choices. To mention only one: the use of exposed mechanics, which can be crucial in the success of a work performed by a single actor. Having stagehands come on and off to make little changes to the set, or to hand things to Mitchell regularly, provides yet another opportunity for her to show off her impeccable acting chops. Each time she takes a moment to thank them, in character. But, oh gosh, the quality of Suzie Miller’s writing. The Director’s Note mentions “Suzie’s exquisite script”. Having studied law herself, the writing shows a deep understanding of RBG’s life, work, and legacy. Her choice of which accomplishments to include is spot on, and her understanding of the story of the key moments in RBG’s life and how to tell that story is astoundingly effective. As previously mentioned, the refrain has oft been “RBG should have retired earlier”, but Miller presents a stunning tableau of perhaps why it is that she didn’t. Suddenly the choice not to is no longer black-and-white. Not only that, but the power of her dissenting opinions and her crucial work towards the end is given its proper place in RBG’s legacy. As such, the award-winning playwright, scaffolded by an extraordinary creative team, pays homage to RBG in a way that would surely have made the icon herself proud.

RBG: Of Many, One is an epic, tight, effective, educational, funny, inspiring, and heartwarming work. There was not a dry eye in the house as the applause raged on and on. Thank you, Black Swan, for bringing this unparalleled piece of theatre back to Perth for those of us who missed out last time. And for those theatre lovers wondering what’s on next: the world premiere of the Black Swan-commissioned The Shepherds Hut (adapted by Tim McGarry from the novel by Tim Winton) is opening at Heath Ledger Theatre on May 9th.

MELISSA KRUGER

Photos by Prudence Upton