Home | BLACK COCKATOO On Tour
BLACK COCKATOO On Tour
Following its critically acclaimed success at the 2020 Sydney Festival, Ensemble Theatre’s production of BLACK COCKATOO by Geoffrey Atherden hit the road. Touring around Australia between 10 March and 31 May 2022. A landmark play about Australia’s first international sporting team.
Playwright
Geoffrey Atherden
Director
Wesley Enoch
Cultural Consultant
Uncle Richard Kennedy
Cast
Joseph Althouse
Phoebe Grainer
Aaron McGrath (from 12 Apr)
Mema Munro
Mark Nannup (to 9 Apr)
Kyle Shilling
Colin Smith
Principal Donor
Government Partners
Touring Partner
Overview
Over 150 years ago, 13 brave Aboriginal men in Western Victoria picked up their cricket bats and embarked on a treacherous voyage to England and into the unknown – all in the name of sport. Risking illness and persecution, Australia’s first international cricket team – including Australia’s first Indigenous sporting hero, Johnny Mullagh – amazed the English crowds with astonishing talent, personality and grit. They should have returned to Australia as celebrated heroes. Instead they came back to find the world they once knew was no longer there.
This is not just a story about cricket – this is story of strength, resistance, hope and possibility. When a group of young present-day activists sneak into the Wimmera Discovery Centre to expose the truth of what happened to Johnny and his team mates, a hidden legend of triumph and tragedy unfolds. Funny and incredibly moving, BLACK COCKATOO is a new artistic collaboration between iconic Australian writer Geoffrey Atherden (MOTHER AND SON, BABAKIUERIA) and former Sydney Festival Artistic Director Wesley Enoch (BLACK DIGGERS).
Tour Venues & Dates
Theatre Royal, Hobart | 10 – 11 Mar
Frankston Arts Centre | 15 Mar
Clocktower, Moonee Ponds | 17 Mar
Bunjil Place, Narre Warren | 19 Mar
Geelong Arts Centre | 22 – 26 Mar
Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo | 29 Mar
Horsham Town Hall | 31 Mar
Harrow Discovery Centre | 2 Apr
Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre | 5 Apr
Logan Entertainment Centre | 7 Apr
Brisbane Powerhouse | 8 – 9 Apr
HOTA Home of the Arts, Surfers Paradise | 12 Apr
Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre | 14 Apr
Pilbeam Theatre | 20 Apr
Glasshouse, Port Macquarie | 23 Apr
Capitol Theatre, Tamworth | 26 Apr
Orange Civic Theatre | 28 Apr
Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre | 30 Apr
Grifith Regional Theatre | 3 May
Cessnock Performing Arts Centre | 7 May
Glen St Theatre, Belrose | 11 – 15 May
The Art House, Wyong | 18 – 19 May
Civic Theatre, Newcastle | 21 – 22 May
Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre | 25 May
Zenith Theatre & Convention Centre, Chatswood | 31 May
Cast & Creatives
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- Geoffrey Atherden | Playwright
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- Wesley Enoch | Director
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- Uncle Richard Kennedy | Cultural Consultant
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- Joseph Althouse | Cast
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- Phoebe Grainer | Cast
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- Aaron McGrath | Cast
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- Mema Munro | Cast
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- Mark Nannup | Cast
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- Kyle Shilling | Cast
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- Colin Smith | Cast
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- Yolande Brown | Associate Director
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- Richard Roberts | Set & Costume Designer
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- Trent Suidgeest | Lighting Designer
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- Shilo Jarrett | Associate Lighting Designer
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- Ryan McDonald | Deputy Lighting Designer
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- Steve Francis | Composer & Sound Designer
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- Jane FitzGerald | Dramaturg
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- Michelle Sverdloff | Stage Manager
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- Fiona Lloyd Harding | Assistant Stage Manager
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- Sara Kolijn | Costume Supervisor
Acknowledgment from the Barengi Gadjin Land Council
The first touring cricket team to tour England in 1868.
The First XI Aboriginal players are the original trailblazers for self-determination, putting on displays of traditional culture, showing resilience and creating pathways for all First Nation peoples.
Ensemble Theatre has the respect and admiration of the Board of Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation for their careful and respectful story of our ancestors who travelled to England in 1868.
Thank you to the Kennedys descendants and families of Yanggendyinanyuk, also known as Dick-a-Dick, who shared their oral stories and commitment to creating BLACK COCKATOO.
Dedication to Neil Balnaves AO
The 2022 tour of BLACK COCKATOO was dedicated to Neil Balnaves AO. Neil was a champion for the creative community and especially passionate about supporting First Nations artists and stories. His generous support of BLACK COCKATOO was instrumental to the development and success of this landmark Australian play.
Neil’s vision to create a better Australia through education, medicine and the arts will continue through the philanthropic work of The Balnaves Foundation.
DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM
Discover more about BLACK COCKATOO with a copy of our digital program! You’ll find photos, a synopsis, cast and creative biographies, and more!
Reviews
★★★★”This amazing Australian story rings with authenticity, humour and quirky compassion” Stage Noise
★★★★ “A vibrant, fascinating and challenging production” ArtsHub
“A tale of triumph, racism, exploitation, illness, culture clash and truth” ABC News
“A sincere and tender proclamation, paying tribute to Indigenous identities past and present” Suzy Goes See
“Commendably and sensitively asks difficult questions… entertaining and informative” Audrey Journal
★★★★ “Ripe with emotion, wit, and reflection” State of the Art
★★★★ “A captivating and inspiring story that reverberates today” ArtsHub
“A wonderful balance of educating and entertaining… hard hitting honesty and delightful comedy” Broadway World