My Brilliant Career is an Australian musical based on the novel of the same name by Miles Franklin, with book by Sheridan Harbridge and Dean Bryant, music by Mathew Frank and lyrics by Dean Bryant.
Contents
Development and production history
Bryant and Frank began writing the musical in 2016. It was workshopped in 2019 at Monash University as part of an artist-in-residence program, after which Harbridge joined as a collaborator. The workshop cast featured Luisa Scrofani as Sybylla Melvyn, alongside Andrew Coshan, Alister Kingsley, James Millar, Natalie O’Donnell, and Anne Wood.
My Brilliant Career premiered at the Southbank Theatre for the Melbourne Theatre Company, from 7 November to 21 December 2024. The original production was directed by Anne-Louise Sarks, featuring Kala Gare as Sybylla with an ensemble cast of actor/musicians including Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, Lincoln Elliot, Victoria Falconer, Raj Labade, Drew Livingston, HaNy Lee, Ana Mitsikas, Christina O'Neill and Jarrad Payne.
An Australian tour ran throughout 2026, with seasons in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Wollongong.
Reception
The musical was very well-received including multiple five-star reviews.
Recording
Original Cast Recording
Following the 2019 workshop at Monash University, a cast recording was produced in January 2020, featuring additional performers Jerome Javier and Melanie Bird.
Australian Tour Cast Recording
A sneak peek of the Australian tour official cast album was first presented in a panel talk with Victoria Falconer, Mathew Frank and Kala Gare. The release date is unknown.