She Works Hard For (No) Money | Backyard Flamingo
I’ve attended countless theatre shows—including several interactive productions—but none quite like this one.
All images: John McElhatton
She Works Hard For (No) Money, written and produced by Samantha Hill, is a new comedy production presented by Backyard Flamingo as part of Anywhere Festival Brisbane.
After skimming the summary beforehand, I had a vague idea of what to expect—but the experience turned out to be completely different, and full of surprises.
From the moment I arrived, I was caught off guard. The venue wasn’t a traditional theatre space. Instead, I was greeted by “staff” in corporate attire, as if I were just another employee walking into the office. I remember thinking, ‘Am I in the right place?’ Audience members were free to choose their own seats, and I picked a seat at one of two long tables; I felt like I was attending an office meeting, rather than a night at the theatre. This site-specific setting—a white board, a projector, and a few stacked boxes—captured a regular cooperate office space, echoing Anywhere Festival’s ethos: Art can happen anywhere.
The show unfolded through a series of vignettes, rather than a linear story, and explored both the visible and invisible labour that women carry at work and at home. This fragmented structure cleverly mirrored the scattered mental load many women bear, blending humour with biting social commentary.
One standout theme was male weaponised incompetence, where men avoid contributing due to either a feigned or genuine lack of domestic skills. This was hilariously shown in a game show vignette, where a woman earned points for remembering every social plan, yet a man still won despite forgetting nearly everything. Similarly, an office scene showed a male worker unable to complete tasks without step-by-step guidance from his female co-worker. These highlighted how women often carry the mental burden, while men receive praise for doing the bare minimum.
Watching the show made me reflect on traditional gender roles and their connection to unpaid labour and mental load. Another striking theme was the ‘cult of domestic goddess’. In one scene, a wife upset about her husband cleaned their toilet, not because of the act itself, but because she felt her feminine identity being taken away. This moment exposed the historical notion that femininity is tied to household labour.
Still, society has challenged and redefined these roles over time. One particularly powerful scene involved a girlfriend character pushing back against the expectation that she would manage both her own and her partner’s social and family calendars, reclaiming space and resisting modern pressures placed on women.
All images: John McElhatton
From a personal and spiritual view, I believe that men and women were created with different strengths and qualities. When these are respected, they create a balanced partnership, as reflected in many cultural and faith traditions. I don’t think we need to completely reject traditional roles, but fairness matters. What’s important is a more equal sharing of responsibilities, while recognising and appreciating each other’s strengths. It’d also be interesting to hear other perspectives from different generations. Younger people may lean towards equal partnership ideals, while older generations may value traditional structures. Exploring both could deepen the conversation and highlight how social expectations evolve over time.
What I loved most was how the production addressed heavy, complex issues with humour throughout the show. The room often burst into laughter, even during moments of sharp social critique. By involving us audience members in tasks such as signing a birthday card, clapping, and even eating cake, the performers made me feel part of the story, dissolving the line between audience and performer.
With its realism, immersive staging, and light-hearted tone, this show delivered a bold, funny, engaging, and deeply thought-provoking experience.
