July 2019 | A bold new work responding to the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's landing in Australia
SYNOPSIS
Binno, an Aboriginal Elder once a member of a feted dance trio, has been asked to present a series of sacred dances for a 26 January celebration. He is unsure about it but his sister, the straight-talking Beenie (Venus), convinces him to teach these dances to a group of young boys who need to connect to the old ways, discover who they are and the truth about where they live.
The event is being organised by Pip; earnest and well-intentioned, a white woman who believes she may have some historical indigenous blood-ties. She has also booked Andy, a celebrated local actor, to read extracts from Cook's diaries as part of the festivities.
The boys chosen by Beenie and Binno are a motley crew; Brayden – disruptive, athletic; Charley Boy – over-eager, overweight; and Max, Binno's protégé, with his university book-learnt culture and exquisite singing voice. They bring modern challenges to traditional ways and, as they learn the dances and understand their meanings, they become part of Binno and Beenie's bigger plan….
Black Drop Effect is a bold new work responding to the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's landing in Australia and premiering as part of Sydney Festival 2020.
Black Drop Effect emerged from a short term (2 week) residency by the Stiff Gins – Nardi Simpson and Karleena Briggs – in August 2018 at Bankstown Arts Centre (BAC). Landscape and the connection to Country was the starting point for the work.
Bankstown is known as the City of Two Rivers – the Cooks and Georges Rivers. These Rivers provided passage and resources to colonial incursions into Dharug and Dharawal Country. This history provides creative opportunities for communities to review and consolidate disparate and even adversarial views about Captain Cook's legacy to Australian history and nationhood.
'Black drop effect' refers to an optical illusion created during the transit of Venus – Captain Cook's mission in 1769-70 was to chart the transit of Venus from Tahiti before sailing south-west to explore the Southern Terra Australis.
Writer Nardi Simpson, drew on these references to create a multi-layered narrative that centres on traditional knowledge and the transference of culture juxtaposed with text from Captain Cook's diary. The story plays out against the backdrop of preparations for a local 26th January event. Black Drop Effect examines black/white and generational conflict, and the ongoing effects of colonisation.
Black Drop Effect reunites the highly skills creative team that produced the remarkable the Spirit of Things, which premiered at the 2016 Liveworks Festival at Carriageworks and toured to Yirrambol 2017. Black Drop Effect is led by Yuwaalaraay woman, Nardi Simpson. Nardi was the recipient of the 2018 Australia Council for the Arts Signature Works Initiative and the 2018 Black&Write! Indigenous Writers Fellowship with the State Library of Queensland. Nardi has also worked on a number of local Bankstown parternship projects, such as BYDS Stories of Strength and Resilience.
Director Felix Cross has worked with BAC on award winning projects including Night Sky (2017), The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour (2017/18) and the Prophet (2016) in partnership with BYDS. From 1996-2015, Felix was the Artistic Director of the acclaimed Nitro/Black Theatre Co-op in the UK.
Nardi and Felix are working with their 'The Spirit of Things' collaborators Yuwaalaraay woman and renowned designer Lucy Simpson, video designer Mic Gruchy and lighting designer Karen Norris to develop the world premiere of The Black Drop Effect. Joining this team are acclaimed First Nation musician James Henry, production manager Amber Silk, producer Katrina Douglas and executive producer Vandana Ram.
A Warning from Wesley and the Black Drop Effect
In mid 2018 I was lucky enough to be invited to the Australia Council's Signature Works Creative Lab. This week-long residency was an initiative of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy Panel to inspire the creation of works of significance and scale. First Nations artists gathered from across the country to connect, challenge, share and explore. Wesley Enoch addressed one of the sessions, one late afternoon. He encouraged us to think big, to extend ourselves and practice, to move into territory unfamiliar and uncomfortable. He also gave what I felt was a warning. Leaning into the circle he stated clearly, '2020 is coming. We're going to be flooded with the colonial narrative. As artists, you need to be ready.' These words were marked, intense, their gravity a boulder, sinking in the sea. I spent the rest of the week thinking on his statement. There was a battle ahead. It would reopen scars. We were being asked to fight, to become warriors, to protect and defend this country's truth. He called upon us to stand as the frontline, to face the quickly approaching story wars with an arsenal of dance and song and art.
I left the week-long Creative Lab feeling inspired by my colleagues- visual artists and musicians, dancers and writers, curators and photographers and traditional tool makers, old and young and in between. I also left feeling I had much to do to be on par with those in the room. In the next weeks as I developed concepts for my own work, Wesley's foreboding had resided a little and I quickly settled in to thinking again about myself- my work, my art, the sound and shape of things I want to leave behind. An offering of another residency, this time at Bankstown Arts Centre quickly followed, BAS interested in supporting a new work, similar in scope to that of an earlier project, 'The Spirit of Things' I had co-created for Performance Space's Liveworks 2017. The residency would reprise a creative partnership with Felix Cross, a Trinidadian English director and composer. From Cook to Banks I travelled by train.
Development weeks were spent dreaming that beautiful state of creative ignorance, an endless, open sea of possibility before you with the comfort of land at your back. The beginnings of the Black Drop Effect brewed at that time- the phrase referring to an optical illusion that obscures the edges of two opposing objects. The measurement of the Transit of Venus was the pretence for the Endeavour's expedition. The black drop effect – a dark tear made as Venus touched the sun ensured any measurements defunct, the attempt a complete and utter failure. As were the initial scenes and scenarios I penned at that time. Despite completing the three-week writing period with a set of strong characters and story, when it came to drawing these out, committing them to paper, to writing the show I baulked. Would this work combat the insurmountable? Could it be a satisfactory scream? A cry from the colonised, the marginalised, the dispossessed? Would a show in Bankstown, performed in English and set in a conventional theatre speak of the loss, of the resilience, of the ingenuity and strength of Australia's first peoples? No. No single show ever could. No single writer or creative can do such a task alone. Wesley knew this. It is why he enlisted an army of storytellers and song keepers and guardians of motif and movement. The Black Drop Effect is a response to Wesley's challenge. For generations we have been preparing for this moment. We are now ready for the invasion's reprise.
Nardi Simpson
July 2019
Working with Nardi on The Spirit of Things (for the Liveworks and Yirramboi festivals) brought home to me what a special talent she is; a skilled storyteller, musician and songwriter, with much to say of great worth. That particular production brought together a creative team right out of the top drawer and I was very keen to work with them again; so, I guess the starting point for Black Drop Effect was the artists: Nardi Simpson, Lucy Simpson, Fausto Brusamolino and Mic Gruchy.
We all wanted to work together again, but we only had vague notions of what our show might be about. Sydney Festival's announcement that 2020 would look at the 250th anniversary of Cook's landing gave us the focus we needed. Immediately before sailing to Terra Australis, Cook had been to Tahiti to observe the Transit of Venus across the sun. I was fascinated by one little detail of this; his calculations were distorted by an optical illusion that made the otherwise circular disc of Venus appear elongated whenever it 'touched' the edge of the sun. This distortion was known as the Black Drop Effect and to describe it exactly would take far too many long words right now. However, in the light of the subsequent 250 years of blood spilling and blood mixing, 'Black Drop Effect' revealed itself as a multi-layered title.
Nardi also introduced me to James Henry, who became our composer the minute I heard his beautiful, evocative music. So, we now had a group of artists and a title; we just needed a story.
One day, after many months of trying out story ideas and drafts that were all perfectly workable, Nardi came to me with a brand new completely written play that blew everything else out of the water. I had no idea when or where she had found the space and time to do this; it was as though, while we were developing one set of ideas, she had been simultaneously inhabiting a parallel universe in which she wrote something completely different. It was fresh, funny and right on the nail – saying all the things we had wanted to say, but better and with characters that were richly complex. Interestingly, it featured stingrays. Conveniently, it was also called Black Drop Effect….
I am delighted to be working with Bankstown Arts Centre on this show, it is my artistic 'home' in Sydney and to be bringing the Sydney Festival to this neck of the woods is extra special. We have decided to present our show outside, which brings new challenges – light spilling from uptown Bankstown, the threat of rain and the small matter of trains passing every twenty minutes. However, this choice also offers us lots of opportunities with scale, beautiful settings and playing with the underlying notion that this is all about land; its possession, the cultures that exist because of it and the cultures that tried to impose themselves on it.
Felix Cross
July 2019
Billy is a proud Murri man from the Kamillaroi Tribe, South West Qld had first started in the arts industry in 1988 with Streets Arts Community Theatre Company, West End, Brisbane. Performer, Writer, Director & Didgeridoo player has performed in scores of community & professional production's including recently 2012 ABCTV Redfern Now mini- series. Billy first theatre performance at Belvoir in 1993, was Gunjies.
Born in the southwest town of Cunnamulla, Marlene's traditional people on her Father's side are Guguyelandji, and Woppaburra on her Mother's side. Growing up amidst the Aboriginal Protection Act of the 1950s, Marlene was raised with a very political 'grassroots' upbringing. Marlene Cummins is Australia's foremost Indigenous female blues writer and performer. Marlene knows the blues from an Aboriginal woman's perspective in this country and her story is one of vulnerability, strength and survival. Marlene refined her skills as a blues saxophonist and songwriter at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the mid-90s. She continues to busk a few times a week as she finds this helps her to maintain and develop her feel as a musician. In addition to her musical talent, Marlene has been regular broadcaster on Koori Radio for years with her renowned blues show, 'Marloo's Blues', Marlene won Broadcaster of the Year at the Deadly Awards in 2009. In 2014 Marlene released her first full-length album, Koori Woman Blues to coincide with the premiere of her film Black Panther Woman.
Jane has toured nationally and internationally, voiced radio plays for ABC Radio National, Eastside Radio and worked on several new scripts with Playwriting Australia. She has directed productions at University of Wollongong, University of Newcastle, Sydney Theatre School and Excelsia College. Jane graduated from University of Western Sydney - Theatre Nepean (Acting) and University of Sydney (Fine Art, Film and Performance) and is a proud member of Equity. Recent theatre credits include Small Mouth Sounds (Darlinghurst), Letters to Lindy (Merrigong, National Tour) Lost Boys (Merrigong), Good With Maps (Edinburgh for Siren), Ham Funeral (Siren/Griffin), The Trouble With Harry (Siren/Seymour Centre), Good People (Ensemble Theatre), Beautiful One Day (Belvoir/Ilbijerri/version1.0), Rupert (Theatre Royal), Honchos Meeting in Cowra (Rinkogun, Tokyo), Small Hard Things (TRS/Bondi Feast), New Electric Ballroom (Griffin/Siren), Angels in America (Theatre Ink/Riverside) and As You Like It (Siren/CarriageWorks).
Trapped In Mykonos is Anthony's first appearance for Gravas Productions following Postnuptials (2013). 2012 saw world premiere of Frank Gauntlett's Deeming, In The Penal Colony (Sydney Chamber Opera 2012), and the world premiere of Jack Symonds Notes from Underground (SCO 2011). Other credits include: Men Without Shadows (Hobo Collective/ NIDA) Woyzeck (B Sharp/Arts Radar, 2010; Brisbane Festival, 2011), Feelgood (New Theatre, 2010), and The Bible: the complete word of God (Abridged) (ADC/Queen Size Productions, 2009). Other Theatre credits include: Implausible People (Gemeinschaft Dogs), Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Tempest, King Lear (Shakespeare Globe), Pants on Fire (Marian Street), Twelfth Night (Shakespeare on the Green), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Hamlet (Harlos Productions), Gross Indecency, the Three Trials of Oscar Wilde as Wilde (New Theatre), Young Mo (Crossroads Theatre), La Boheme, The Barber of Seville, Tristan and Isolde (Opera Australia). Television Credits include: Murder Call (Ch 9/ West Street Productions), Frankie's House, Review with Myles Barlow and I, Spry (ABC TV). The Polish Actor, Writer and Director Marius H. Zelesky and his wife Eliszebeta Sloboda, students of the late Henryk Tomasewski are two of the many influences Anthony counts on the development of his work.
Googoorewon was scouted by Tony Barclay at the Schools Spectacular in 2013 to attend the International Screen Academy in Sydney. After graduating in 2016, he was signed by esteemed Sydney talent agency Benchmark Creative Management and has since built a diverse career, both as an actor working commercially and across a range of short films, and as a musician notably performing to thousands at Qudos Arena for the Rotary International conference and in Barangaroo for Amway, as well as working his personal musical endeavours.
Isaiah is a fun loving young indigenous actor, with a passion for performing arts. Isaiah is an actor who also loves to sing, dance and play the guitar and piano. Isaiah has performed in performances Beauty and the Beast, and was also leads in The Wizard of Oz and High School Musical. He was also involved in the Young Black and Deadly Festival in Sydney. Isaiah is an energetic performer and excited for his first independent show.
Ken is a proud Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man who has been acting since he was 6 years of age. He has previously performed in television roles including Redfern Now, advertising campaigns for Quit Smoking and Legal Aid and as a Aboriginal dancer. Ken enjoys playing the drums and is an accomplished sportsman – he particularly enjoys all forms of Rugby and boxing. Ken recently commenced his Higher School Certificate.
A Yuwaalaraay writer, musician, storyteller and educator from NSW's north west freshwater plains. As a member of Indigenous duo Stiff Gins, Nardi has travelled nationally and internationally for the past 20 years, performing in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Vietnam and the Pacific Islands. Nardi is the recipient of the 2018 Black&Write! Indigenous Writers Fellowship with the state library of Queensland and is currently editing her debut novel, Song of the Crocodile. Nardi is a participant in Ngaria Burria Indigenous Composures initiative and the musical director of Barayagal, a cross cultural choir run out of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2019. Nardi is also a Gamilaraay Language teacher and cultural consultant heavily involved in the teaching and sharing of culture in both her Sydney and Yuwaalaraay communities.
Felix is a director, composer and producer whose work has been performed nationally and internationally for the past 35 years, with more than 120 productions. From 1996 to 2015, he was the Artistic Director of Nitro/Black Theatre Co-operative in England and in 2012, Felix was awarded an MBE for services to Musical Theatre. Since 2013 he has worked mainly in Australia, directing several shows including The Prophet: Remix (BYDS: Bankstown Arts Centre); Leyla & Majnun (Blacktown Arts Centre); Spirit of Things (Stiff Gins: Liveworks & Yirramboi Festivals). Theatre music in Australia includes Convicts Opera (Sydney Theatre Co.); Prizefighter (La Boite: Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne Festivals); Crawl Me Blood (Aphids: Hobart & Melbourne Botanical Gardens); Between Us (ATYP); Serpents Teeth (Kings X Theatre). http://www.felixcross.org
Katrina a director and producer passionate about developing new work that re-imagine the possibilities of live performance. Recent projects include directing and co-writing Being Debra, a virtual reality film creatively led by Debra Keenahan; and directing a verbatim performance in collaboration with the Lithgow community that explores mental health issues. Katrina has worked for companies across Australia and internationally including ATYP, PYT | Fairfield, The Q at the Joan, Interplay Kenya, St Martins, VCA, STC, Shopfront Contemporary Arts and PACT centre for emerging artists. Production credits include directing the award winning Intersection (ATYP 2017); dramaturge on the award winning A Boy & A Bean by Nick Atkins (The Q & PACT 2014); and producer and director of the multi-award winning Truck Stop by Lachlan Philpott (The Q 2012). Film and TV credits include co-producer After Hours (Jabiru Town Council 2006); and director In The Swim (SBS – screened nationally 2001). www.katrinadouglas.net
Vandana is the Director of Bankstown Arts Centre and provides strategic leadership in the development and implementation of all aspects of the Centre's Management and Programs. As both an arts manager and community based artist she has initiated a vast range of cultural programs focusing on intercultural exchange with diverse communities. In the last 15 years her expertise has contributed to dynamic arts practice in Western Sydney, strategic planning on arts and cultural policy, advocating on behalf of this sector on local, state and federal levels and developing highly successful community partnerships.
Amber has worked as lighting designer and/or production manager on projects such as Nat Randall and Anna Breckon's The Second Woman, Dark MOFO & Liveworks (2017), PIAF & Performing Lines Taiwan (2018); Justin Shoulder's Carrion, Insite (2018), Performance Space (2017); and numerous works for Caroline Garcia (2015-2018) and Latai Taumoepeau (2015-2017). She has also been employed by Moogahlin Performing Arts, Blacktown, Bankstown and Campbelltown Arts Centres, Performance Space and Carriageworks.
Sydney based Yuwaalaraay woman, and process-led designer / maker who explores notions of time and place through materiality and visual narratives which connect, record and communicate experience and story - both old and new. Design is the medium she works within to honour and translate stories of country, creating First Nations perspectives and presence through conceptual and tactile installation works, projects within the built environment, and also throughout the public domain. Lucy's career in design has spanned 10 years since graduating from UNSW Art & Design, where she also established design studio and textiles label Gaawaa Miyay. She continues to work across a wide range of mediums and disciplines including illustration, printmaking, textiles, firework, ceramics, digital image and graphic design, and has developed, collaborated on and created a range of commercial / artistic / community based projects throughout this time. This is Lucy's second time collaborating with her sister Nardi and the Spirit of Things Collective on a theatre production.
James has been in high demand in recent years as a composer and sound designer for various projects. This is mainly due to his diverse skill set and broad interest across various music genres. The Melbourne arts scene provides many opportunities which has seen him as the musical director of Tanderrum the Melbourne festival opening ceremony for 3 years running, sound designer for various Ilbijerri productions as well as City of Melbourne commissions. James has featured as a musical director, composer and arranger for Dreamtime at the G opening ceremonies and as composer and musical director for the Yirramboi Festival opening ceremonies. James' sound design work has featured in An Octoroon for Brisbane Festival 2017 and Blood on the Dancefloor for Sydney Festival 2017. https://www.jameshenrymusic.net
Matthew Doyle was born and raised in Sydney, he is a Descendant of the Muruwari People from Northwest NSW. Studied at NAISDA College 1985-88 and then became a founding member of AIDT the Company. Matthew is a dancer, musician, songman, didgeridoo player, cultural consultant and educator with over 30 years' experience in the performing arts across all genres. He has toured extensively in Australia and abroad performing in many countries as both a soloist and a collaborator.
Karen Norris has extensive experience as a lighting designer for Theatre/Dance and Music throughout Australia and Europe. Based in London and Nice -1998 to 2008. Since returning to Australia: Recent designs: Terrain and Lore-Bangarra Dance, Theatre, NAISDA Francis Rings, Champions Martin del Armo, On View Sue Healey, CELLA Germany SF 2018 & Dance Massive 2019 Narelle Benjamin, Winyanboga Yurringa Andrea James Moogahlin, RED Liz Lea, KOTAHI Atamira NZ, Barbara and the Camp Dogs Belvoir Street Theatre, The Appleton Ladies Potatoe Race & The last Five Years Ensemble Theatre, Blak Box Barangaroo & SF 2019, Broken Glass SF 2018 - The Weekend Liza-mare Syron SF2019 Moogahlin, Blak Box Urban Theatre Projects Barangarroo & SF 2019, plenty serious TALK TALK Vicky van Hout, Rainbows End Darlinghurst Theatre.
Frankie is an emerging manager based in Sydney. Recently graduating the University of Wollongong, Bachelor of Creative Arts- Theatre (Deans Scholar), they both Stage and Production manage theatre and dance. Frankie is the current Venue and Technical Manager at Pact, as well as Production Managing Cloe Fournier's 'Mea Culpa' (2019), FORM Dance's 'Passing It On' (2019), Vicki Van Hout's 'Plenty Serious Talk Talk (2018) and Omer Backley-Astrachan's 'Valley and Wildebeest' (2018).