The performance by Claire Thomas

This complex, yet easy to read, book takes place in a theatre in Melbourne in the current day and explores the experiences of three women watching a play. Outside the theatre, the city is threatened by bushfire. This threat, and the burden of climate change are echoed in the play as it unfolds. Samuel Beckett’s play Happy Days takes place in real time along with the voices of Margot, Ivy and Summer. Margot (early 70s) is a theatre subscriber and professor. She is currently being persuaded by her university to accept early retirement and cares for her husband who has dementia. Ivy (early 40s) is a wealthy philanthropist with a passion for the works of Beckett. Her wealth provides privileges she finds discomforting. Summer (early 20s) is a drama student working as a theatre usher. Her girlfriend has travelled to her parents to assist them in protecting their house in the fire zone. Winnie (Happy Days) is onstage, buried to her waist in a grassy hill.

The author deftly crafts the internal dialogue of Margot, Ivy and Summer - triggered by the progression of the play. Gender roles, identity standards, pressure to conform, motherhood, racial identity and the concealing of abuse to preserve identity come under scrutiny through their personal experiences. All (including Winnie) are experts in concealing their real feelings and making the best of each "happy day". The reader cannot help but care for, and resonate with, Margot, Ivy and Summer. Each, in their own way, struggle to be the ideal woman and remain true to themselves.

These well-developed characters will prompt discussion around the expectations placed on women in our society today and a further examination of Beckett's play (60 years old in 2021).

Themes: Themes: Relationships (love, family, friends), Identity, Women, Motherhood, Bushfire, Climate Change, Theatre.

Linda Guthrie