What Will the Neighbours Think by Robyn Bishop

‘A tragic yet heartwarming story written with grace and humour. A must read.’ – Margot Robbie

From forced adoption to prime-time television – a life lived with grit, grace and a touch of showbiz sparkle.

In 1965, Jan Russ was a young Melbourne woman whose world fell apart overnight. Unmarried, pregnant and abandoned, she was pushed into a system that punished single mothers and stole their babies in the name of respectability. The loss of her daughter would shadow her life for decades – a wound carried quietly while the rest of the world saw her shine.
And shine she did. Jan found refuge on the stage, touring Australia and New Zealand in the glory days of musical theatre before stepping into television work on both sides of the Tasman. Back in Melbourne, she moved behind the scenes at Crawford Productions and later joined Neighbours, where she became one of Australia’s most influential casting directors. Over 26 years, she discovered new talent – including future global stars Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie – helping to define an era of Australian television.
Away from the cameras, Jan waged another battle: the long, determined search for the daughter taken from her. Her advocacy along with other mothers helped pave the way for Australia’s National Apology for Forced Adoption in 2013 – a moment of long overdue recognition.
From the quiet brutality of the 1960s to the bright lights of international fame as her son, Sam Hammington, becomes a household name in South Korea, Jan’s life continually expands in unexpected and joyful directions, even as old wounds linger. Her story is one of resilience, humour, heartbreak and extraordinary reinvention.

What Will the Neighbours Think? is a candid, spirited memoir from a woman who built a remarkable life in spite of – and sometimes because of – the secrets she was told to keep.
‘A fearless, funny, deeply human story from a woman who refused to fade into the wings.’

About the Author: Robyn Bishop has a background in acting and education and began her writing career as a playwright. Her play Only the End was published by Currency Press in 2005, followed by The Show Must Go On – based on the life of Jan Russ – published by Australian Plays Transform in 2018. Both works were staged at The Carlton Courthouse in Melbourne under the La Mama Theatre umbrella.
She is also an accomplished fiction writer. Her debut novel, The Girl in the Bath, appeared in 2014, and her short story “The Lonely Road” featured in It’s All Connected, an anthology of feminist fiction and poetry (Spinifex Press, 2022). Her second novel, The Rust Red Land, was published by Spinifex Press in 2023.
In 2024, Robyn was awarded a Moonee Valley City Council writing residency to develop What Will the Neighbours Think? – her collaboration with Jan Russ.

26 May 2026
 

What Will the Neighbours Think: Love, Loss and Showbiz by Robyn Bishop ISBN 9781923514720