★★★★
Adelaide Fringe. Sturm Theatre Company. 7 Mar 2026
Strip down August Strindberg’s Miss Julie into a one hour production as Little Miss Julie? Why not?
Strindberg is one of the out-there playwrights of his era who wrote about themes considered shocking. Little Miss Julie successfully manages the fraught themes of class, power, and sexuality very well.
Director/Writer James Harvy’s script is tight and to the point in adaptation. Language has been adjusted. It allows in that hour careful development of the contentious, even dangerous relationship between Coachman John (James Harvy), Cook Christine (Sarah Jeavons) and their Mistress, Miss Julie (Ruby Patrich).
Strindberg created Miss Julie as a contrary, imperious creature emboldened by her ruling class status. Her servants, however, have known her since she was a kid. Yet they are forever beneath her.
This complex dilemma is handled differently by John and Christine. John is constantly angered by her unseemly behaviour. Christine is content to let things be and comfortably adapts with acceptance to her station in life.
Yet John and Christine have known each other all their lives too. Christine rescuing John from homeless poverty to the position he now holds.
Little Miss Julie is a battle between three people who want different things from the world and each other. Some kind of freedom. They’re also not above breaking rules of moral, let alone rules of social status to get it. Yet they’ll deny the reality of their choices.
Miss Julie is a dangerous catalyst. Ruby Patrich plays her with exceptional poise and timing. Her Miss Julie is powerfully, supremely imposing.
Miss Julie is on a power trip, playing every moment carefully for full impact on her subjects. Happy to insult Christine. Happy to embarrass John when she commands him to dance with her in public. She gives, then takes away permission to step outside established boundaries.
So happy to stir up hidden feelings and enjoy the discomfiting outcome in her human playthings. Especially John. John clearly harbours something deep within regarding Miss Julie. Yet he harkens to his bond with Christine. But what is that bond? They seem attached like a couple, yet not. Brother, Sister like?
This cast brilliantly manage to play out games between characters without making intention obvious until it’s too late for each as they realise the dilemmas they are caught in.
The gap between John’s dream of freedom, Christine’s self comfort, and Miss Julie’s limitless power and who each of these desperate people really are is great.
It’s a roller coaster ride in which adrenalin fuelled highs come crashing down, stripping away masks and delusions in a breath-taking way.
David O’Brien
When: 6 to 15 Mar
Where: Star Theatres
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
