She Works Hard For (No) Money Review: Anywhere Theatre Festival

She Works Hard for (No) Money is a satirical collection of scenes that calls out the work behind the work, the kind of labour that people are never paid for. It’s a play that voices the mental load, emotional labour and internalised voice (or inner goddess?) in your head. Lead by a female experience, the creative team at Backyard Flamingo takes a critical and comedic lens to life inside the corporate grind.

Writer, Samantha Hill, brings a witty yet wise voice to the script. Her exploration of gender norms, heteronormativity, and patriarchal expectations in corporate environments hits close to home, especially for audiences with lived experience in these spaces. The show is packed with satire and laugh-out-loud moments, and Hill’s themes feel broadly relatable across age, gender, and background.

The immersive premise is elevated from being a part of Anywhere Theatre Festival 2025 where the play cleverly takes place in a grand corporate office in Fortitude Valley. This setting immerses us completely in the experience, where the actors energetically greet us all at the elevator and even assign us a role on our “first day at the office”.

We catch just glimpses of many different characters, some we come back to, and some we never see again. Highlight moments were a team advertising discussion where the audience reactions in the midst of the actors were just golden. Another memorable moment was the game show scene, where Connor Scoble absolutely stole the moment. The script worked well here because Hill was able to strike a fine balance of message, fun and absurdity. I'd encourage a deeper dig into this style overall, for further iterations of the piece.

Image Provided by Backyard Flamingo

While the show thrives on memorable moments that resonated with audiences, its biggest challenge lies in cohesion. The vignette structure, although effective for variety, lacks a strong through-line to really get us thinking and feeling. At times, scenes felt like they were pulled from different plays altogether. Here, a recurring narrative or character could have strengthened an emotional payoff. The broom domestic goddess character had strong potential to anchor the piece and provide some more nuanced and gritty commentary.

The ensemble cast of local talent was well-selected, each bringing something unique to the table. Ellen Hardisty, Carla Haynes and Phoebe Maher were our female leads who were all comfortable and confident in the space. Rob Wainwright had natural ease in the more grounded scenes, and Connor Scoble built strong characters. The direction ensured the space was activated and playful. However, the play really needed a stronger sense of emotional stakes and clarity in performance intent.

About halfway through, the show takes a bold tonal shift. The satire gives way to a debate, a conversation and confession from the male characters. It was a choice that felt jarring but also engaging, making the audience reflect. Still, I sensed the play was holding back. I was waiting for the emotional punch, and when it finally came, it arrived through a male character’s story. While powerful, it subtly shifted the weight of the piece away from the female-led narrative, and that choice left me with questions. Were we as the audience interns here to learn? Spectators to clap? Passive observers of a system we were meant to critique? With more considered audience positioning, the production could sharpen its message and amplify impact.

She Works Hard for (No) Money is an enjoyable night out and worth the watch for this Anywhere Festival season. Check out this new work in a freshly activated space and enjoy a little cake afterwards in the office with the team!

She Works Hard for (No) Money plays at The Precinct, Fortitude Valley until 2nd August.

Grab Tickets Here.