- Shirley valentine is the story of an ordinary mum and housewife in Liverpool, England who realises she has “life unlived”.
- Natalie Bassingthwaighte was born for this show – it could almost be her life.
- It’s only on for four nights in Sydney – which is a mortal sin. Let’s demand that it be brought back!
First, the good news: Natalie Bassingthwaighte is utterly brilliant in this revival of the British stage classic Shirley Valentine.
And now the bad: it’s only on in Sydney for four short nights before transferring to Brisbane.
It’s a travesty to have such a magnificent performance snatched from local audiences so quickly — I suggest writing to the Theatre Royal in Sydney and demanding they bring it back as soon as possible.
A story that speaks to every woman
When Willy Russell wrote Shirley Valentine in 1986 – yes, 40 years ago next year! – he couldn’t have known that almost four decades later, audiences would still be laughing — and crying — at the same truths.
The play follows Shirley, a 42-year-old Liverpudlian housewife stuck in the routines of domestic life. Her children have grown up, her husband barely notices her, and her world has shrunk to the size of her kitchen wall.
When an unexpected chance to travel to Greece arises, she takes it — and in the process, finds herself again.
But what makes this play so enduringly relatable is not just its humour or charm. It’s that almost every woman in the audience recognises something of herself in Shirley. The quiet compromises. The years of putting everyone else first. The fear that life might have already passed you by. And, ultimately, the courage to say:“ I’m not done yet!”
A perfect match: Natalie and Shirley Valentine
Natalie Bassingthwaighte is dazzling in the role. Known for her high-voltage stage and television presence — from The Rogue Traders to Neighbours to The X Factor — here she strips everything back to the essentials. No backup dancers, no costumes to hide behind, just her, a table, a chair, and an audience hanging on every word.
She delivers Shirley Valentine with such warmth and honesty that it feels almost confessional. Her comic timing is impeccable, but it’s her vulnerability that touches your heart. You believe her when she talks to the wall. You cheer when she dares to imagine a new life. And by the end, you feel as if you’ve been on the journey with her.
Life reflecting art
Perhaps what gives this performance its emotional charge is how closely Natalie’s own life seems to echo Shirley’s.
Just ten days before the show opened in Sydney, Bassingthwaighte shared her own story of transformation with the world. The mother of two — and former wife of Rogue Traders drummer Cameron McGlinchey — revealed that she had proposed to her partner, Pip Loth, in a heartwarming moment captured at Niagara Falls.
The couple announced their engagement on Instagram, sharing a video of the moment Natalie got down on both knees with a ring. In the clip, a stranger with a typewriter hands Pip a note before Natalie appears, nervous and smiling, to pop the question.
Pip beams, says yes, and the internet collectively melts.
It’s hard not to draw parallels between these two women — Shirley Valentine, rediscovering herself after years of being defined by others, and Natalie Bassingthwaighte, stepping boldly into a new chapter with love, confidence, and authenticity.
Both are stories of courage. Both are about rewriting the script of one’s life. And both remind us that reinvention is possible at any age.
The power of theatre
What makes Shirley Valentine so irresistible is that it speaks to something universal: the hunger for more. The idea that life doesn’t have to shrink just because we grow older, that we can still dream, travel, and take risks — perhaps even fall in love again, with ourselves most of all.
Shirley talks of a “life left unlived”. Who can’t realate to that?
In Bassingthwaighte’s hands, this revival feels freshly minted — funny, tender, and fiercely hopeful.
You walk out of the Theatre Royal not just applauding her, but thinking about your own walls, your own “what ifs,” and your own version of Greece waiting just over the horizon.
Fast Facts
The Show: Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell — a one-woman play about rediscovery, resilience, and the courage to start again.
The Star: Natalie Bassingthwaighte, acclaimed singer, actor, and television personality, delivers a career-defining performance.
Venue: Theatre Royal Sydney, 108 King Street, Sydney.
Dates: Limited season — only four performances in Sydney before transferring to Brisbane.
Tickets: Available through the Theatre Royal Sydney box office and official website.
Website: www.theatreroyalsydney.com
Editor’s Note: Peter Lynch is the editor in chief of SydneyTravelGuide.com.au and covers theatre, arts, and travel experiences across Australia and beyond.
