Presented as part of Anywhere Festival Brisbane, Samantha Hill’s She Works Hard for (No) Money was a clever and comedic exploration of gendered expectations surrounding unpaid labour and the mental load.
Written and produced by Hill, the play moved through a series of vignettes that approached these core themes with varying levels of satire and absurdity. While many of the sketches were unrelated, there was some character continuity throughout – particularly, a pair of colleagues (Ellen Hardisty and Rob Wainwright) sharing an office and a couple (Carla Haynes and Connor Scoble) navigating a scheduling issue for an upcoming family birthday. Other recurring characters included the Domestic Goddesses (Haynes, Hardisty, and Phoebe Maher), with their glowing brooms and complaints about husbands and boyfriends that escalated to ludicrous and dangerous levels.
The audience was welcomed to their “first day on the job” by their new colleagues and ushered through the hallways to choose a seat for the performance. Directed by Julie Ritchey and Ava Moschetti, She Works Hard for (No) Money was staged within The Precinct, a coworking space in Fortitude Valley. Their direction made the most of the office space and existing furniture, crafting an especially impactful scene in the office kitchenette and creating dynamic, fluid transitions between scenes with a range of entry and exit points. In addition to various office settings, some of the sketches were set in a trivia-style game show, a quiet kitchen, and as part of a podcast or talk show.
She Works Hard For (No) Money addressed themes of equality in partnership, the costs (financial and otherwise) of maternity and homemaking, and the division of labour in both heterosexual and same-sex relationships. Hill’s writing sliced into sexist, outdated ideas of gender roles and “women’s work” with humour, but had empathy for women who have found purpose and identity in being the only thoughtful, competent adult in their household. The work also addressed the way that some men expect the logistics of their lives – communicating with their parents, organising gifts, keeping track of their children’s activities – to be managed by their wife or girlfriend, the different perceived values of work inside and outside the home, and what should be expected (or accepted) from a partner.
Carla Haynes, Ellen Hardisty, Phoebe Maher, Rob Wainwright and Connor Scoble each played several different characters throughout the show and Damian Smith’s character joined them with vigorous energy partway through. Hardisty was hilarious as The Domestic Goddess and moving as an older woman reflecting on homemaking and retirement. Wainwright gave an emotional monologue as a grieving widower accepting support from women in his community, Scoble was a smooth, fast-talking game-show host, and Haynes, Hardisty, and Maher’s scenes as the Domestic Goddesses were hilarious.
Lighting and sound design by Madelyne Leite supported the storytelling in scenes like the game show, and created compartmentalised scenery around the kitchen sink or the boardroom table.
She Works Hard for (No) Money made excellent use of a unique performance space and was a clever, clear-eyed reminder that partnership is an ever-shifting process of negotiation and collaboration.
She Works Hard For (No) Money will be performed at The Precinct, Fortitude Valley, from 24 July – 2 August 2025
For further information, visit the Anywhere Festival website
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