
From Barbie to Motherhood: Christie Whelan Browne Shines in Life in Plastic

“Isn’t cabaret what actors do when they stop getting jobs?” chirps Browne’s stage companion, Barbie–or Babs as the doll warns to avoid adding a Mattel lawsuit to the star’s plate. Actress Christie Whelan Browne returns a slightly insane (her words) but knowing smile, setting the tone for Life in Plastic–a sold-out Sydney Festivalcabaret that’s cheeky, unflinchingly personal and full of heart.
Written and directed by Sherridan Harbridge, Life in Plastic blends hilarious anecdotes, touching reflections and dazzling performances in a time capsule of Christie Whelan Browne’s life.
Against a hypnotic backdrop of lights, haze and a disco ball, Browne dives into her evolving relationship with feminism and identity–wrapped in a satirical pink bow.
Christie Whelan Browne delves into her hilarious, painful and deeply relatable journey of womanhood
Accompanied by an enthusiastic DJ, the show starts with Whelan in a schoolgirl outfit, complete with headgear and clutching Babs as she reminisces about Year 9, panicking about her three-term window to figure out her prom dress.
From there, Browne charms as she unpacks her relationship with feminism from childhood’s “girl power era” and moving to her 20’s in a “post-feminist world” where being ironically sexist is in.
Babs, voiced offstage, drives Browne’s journey—from idolising the doll’s image to eventually telling her to piss off. With sharp, self-deprecating quips, Browne recalls her Free Spirit doused teenage years and questioning where all this hair is coming from, highlighting the beginning of shaping her self-image (and learning that real breasts aren’t as symmetrical as the bleach blonde doll’s).
Browne commands the stage with razor-sharp comedic timing and clever prop comedy.
Interspersed with cute home videos and more, the show evokes laughter and awww’s from the audience.
A heartbreakingly hilarious standout revisits a Flintstones-themed school dance where Browne’s gangly build made her play a blue dinosaur (a role otherwise reserved for “one of the dads”) amid a sea of Pebbles’.
This comes full circle in the finale, a touching reminder of her embrace of silliness and individuality, urging everyone to own it.
Christie Whelan Browne belts pop anthems and flexes comedic chops
Packed with iconic pop anthems, Browne belts everything from Cyndi Lauper hits to Chappell Roan’s Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl and more.
A hilariously somber remix of Everybody Walk the Dinosaur and an ode to her lasered off hair, hairy bodysuit and all, were definite gut-busting highlights.
However, there were brief dips in the pacing due to musical choices not landing as powerfully with the audience. These moments are thankfully fleeting as Browne brings high energy and silly costume changes, keeping you mostly engaged.
Humour and heartache: Browne shares deeply personal IVF journey
The third act transitions into more emotional territory as Browne recounts her battle with endometriosis and IVF struggles, reading teary diary entries to her then-unborn child. Yet even in heavier moments, she draws laughter from the sniffling audience.
This becomes a touching love letter to the pillars in her life: her supportive husband, Rohan (reassuring her that they were enough even without a baby), and her energetic son Duke.
Like his mother, Dukey has a lot of PERSONALITY, as Browne would say, and he inspires her to embrace herself fully, insane smile and all.
Life in Plastic urges you to celebrate your inner child
Life in Plastic brims with tongue-in-cheek charm, celebrating and mourning who Browne was before, as many kids are, being told to “tone it down”.
It’s a cathartic release for the Broadway star, balancing raw emotion and sharp wit.
From spilling tea on awful exes to exploring universal themes like body dysmorphia, sisterhood and complicated relationships with feminism, Browne lays it all out in relatable and humorous fashion.
Topped with inflatable penises, a powerful rendition of Katy Perry’s Roar and raucous laughter, Life in Plastic is nearly pure entertainment.
Even in a dinosaur costume, Christie Whelan-Browne bares her soul and captivates her audience all in one go while letting her inner theatre kid shine.