By Yuqi Xin
Ivy and Sylvia is a production telling the lives of two women who quietly dedicated themselves to the western suburbs of Melbourne during the first half of the last century.
Head Nurse Ivy Weber and the ‘witch’ Sylvia Koch are shown through fictional dialogue, revealing their starkly different yet shared commitment to women’s health within the community.
Actress and stage designer Scarlett Rose described the play in three words; educational, timely, and important. She hopes the audience will learn the history of these forgotten women.
Ivy and Sylvia was created by writer and performer Mia Boonen, inspired by her chance encounters and historical research at the Altona Community Centre.
“While working on a project at the community centre, I heard rumours of a ‘ghost’ of an elderly head nurse haunting the building. This prompted me to research her story,” Mia recalls.
“She was practically the hospital’s founder, delivering babies for decades within the community, yet her legacy remains largely unknown. So I decided to bring their voices back through this script.” Mia said.
Mia balances historical research with elements of fiction carefully. “I don’t wish to damage their reputations, only to fill in the gaps in history and reveal their complex humanity.”
Her previous work in mental health gave her a deep understanding of the selfless women working in healthcare, whose labour is still undervalued today.
Ivy and Sylvia is not merely a historical drama, but a profound reflection on modern women’s healthcare rights and community identity. It reveals how women labourers, forgotten by history, transformed the world, inspiring renewed attention to unresolved social issues.
Scarlett emphasised the play’s relevance to young audiences today. “The issues it explored – women’s bodily autonomy, abortion and healthcare – remain hotly debated topics in our time.”
Azmy Azurite, first-time director, hopes audiences will be inspired “to explore their own local history and encourage more people to unearth forgotten stories.”
Director Amelie Barham revealed that the play reflects “how women’s health has historically been disregarded, and how the label of ‘hysteria’ was applied to women.”
The play mixes reality with fiction, history with the present, tragedy with hope, using two ghostly female figures to call on the audience to participate in cultural shaping and historical transmission.
“We’ve pieced together the life’s work of Ivy and Sylvia, whose profound impact on the Altona community must not be forgotten,” says Scarlett.
Dates: 1–12 October 2025
Location: Louis Joel Arts & Community Centre, Altona
For tickets and further details, visit the Melbourne Fringe Festival website: melbournefringe.com.au
*Yuqi Xin is a journalism intern from University of Melbourne
