A Summary Of The History Of Performing Lines’ Engagement With Contemporary Indigenous Performing Arts Over the years, first as the Australian Content Department of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust and then as Performing Lines, the company has a strong history of supporting Indigenous productions through creative development and touring. 1982 -
Produced the Australian Aboriginal Theatre Co in Robert Merritt’s The Cake Man. It was showcased at the Parade Theatre in Sydney, and then went to the World Theatre Festival in Denver Colorado USA. It was the first Aboriginal production to go overseas and on its return it had seasons in Melbourne and Brisbane.
-
1983 -
A production of Jack Davis’ The Dreamers did a 17-week national tour which included a WA country tour and seasons in Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Tasmania. On the strength of The Dreamers, Wendy Blacklock commissioned Jack to write No Sugar and a play for young people called Honey Spot.
1985 -
-
Honey Spot was chosen to be in the ComeOut Festival in Adelaide, did some performances around South Australia and went on to Melbourne. Tom Keneally’s Bullies House was included in a world theatre program at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut USA. The Aboriginal cast was Tommy Lewis, Ernie Dingo, Richard Walley, Paul Prior and Justine Saunders. The white cast were Americans.
1986 -
-
Honey Spot did a Victorian tour, visited Sydney and then went onto the Edinburgh Festival and Glasgow. No Sugar was chosen to represent Australia at the World Theatre Festival at Expo ‘86 in Vancouver, Canada. It also toured onto Ottowa and triumphantly returned to Melbourne.
1988 -
The sequel to The Dreamers and No Sugar,
Barungin was written and played Perth, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane and Townsville while Melbourne staged the entire trilogy. Honey Spot was re-rehearsed and toured the circuit of children’s festivals in Seattle, Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Regina followed by performances in Brisbane.No Sugar represented Australia again during the bicentennial year, with performances at the Riverside Studios in London.
1991 -
Bran Nue Dae left its home in Broome and played a season in Brisbane before coming to Parramatta and Sydney during the Sydney Festival.
1992 -
Sistergirl by Sally Morgan and directed by Andrew Ross toured to Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra, Darwin, country Western Australia centres and Melbourne.
1996 -
-
The 7 Stages of Grieving (Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman’s play from Kooemba Djarra) did an extensive tour through WA - Broome, Derby, Port Hedland, Roebourne, Carnarvon, Perth then onto Hobart, Canberra, Launceston, Ulverstone, Sydney and Melbourne. Bidenjarreb Pinjarra was devised and performed by two Aboriginal artists (Kelton Pell and Trevor Parfitt) and two white actors (Geoff Kelso and Phil Thomson). They played Tandanya in Adelaide, and then toured to Mt Gambier, Raukkan, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Alice Springs, Hermannsburg, Tennant Creek and Ali Curang.
1997
2010
-
-
-
-
Bidenjarreb Pinjarra continued touring. This time it played Parramatta, Sydney, Cherbourg, Ipswich, Cairns and Townsville. The 7 Stages of Grieving gave performances in Adelaide and then went to the LIFT festival in London. The Festival of the Dreaming (the first Olympic Arts Festival) took place in Sydney and Rhoda Roberts asked Performing Lines to produce and present the program of solo shows that were to be staged at Sydney Opera House. These included artists from New Zealand and Canada, plus Ningali Lawford in her one-woman show, Ningali, Deborah Mailman in The 7 Stages of Dreaming and two new shows from Leah Purcell (Box the Pony) and Deborah Cheetham (White Baptist Abba Fan).
-
2011 -
-
The two new solo shows proved to be successful and White Baptist Abba Fan went to Manchester for the Queer Up North Festival, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra. Box the Pony went to the Adelaide Festival, Canberra and Melbourne. The 7 Stages of Grieving performed in Zurich.
1999 -
Box the Pony went to Perth and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. White Baptist Abba Fan toured to the Christchurch Arts Festival, The Edge, Auckland and Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich.
2000 -
The two solo shows, Box the Pony and White Baptist Abba Fan, were invited as a double bill to the Barbican in London. White Baptist Abba Fan also played Sydney again.
2009 -
-
-
Burning Daylight, Marrugeku’s production out of Broome received Major Production Funds from the DCA in Western Australia, and Performing Lines produced it and toured it from Broome to Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart. Development and initial training commenced on Elcho Island for Ngurru-milmarramiriw (Wrong Skin) a production that reflected on the juxtaposition of the traditional and contemporary lifestyles on the Island and to feature the Chooky Dancers. The Nargun and the Stars – co directed by Wesley Enoch and Erth’s Scott Wright was presented as part of the Sydney and Perth Festivals
Waltzing the Wilara by Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company is transferred to Subiaco Arts Centre from its Perth Festival season
2012 -
1998 -
Ngurru-milmarramiriw (Wrong Skin) had its world premiere at the Adelaide Festival, followed by a season at the Malthouse in Melbourne. Later in the year it re-rehearsed and played the Darwin Festival and Sydney Opera House. Honey Spot is presented at Yirra Yaakin Theatre, WA.
-
I am Eora directed by Wesley Enoch brings together thirty Aboriginal musicians, performers and creative artists from across the country for a collaboration commissioned by Sydney Festival. Honey Spot is toured to Sydney Opera House and the Glasshouse Port Macquarie as part of the venues’ 2012 Young Audiences season.
2013 -
-
Jack Charles vs the Crown undertakes a fourmonth national tour, and wins the APACA Drover ‘Tour of the Year’ award. Performing Lines and ILBIJERRI Theatre Company establish an ongoing working relationship to assist with ILBIJERRI’S national and international touring and market development.
2014 -
-
-
-
Wulamanayuwi and the Seven Pamanui written by Jason de Santis and directed by Eamon Flack tours nationally across 26 venues as the inaugural Blak Lines touring presentation. Winds of Woerr by first-time Torres Strait Islander choreographer Ghenoa Gela is presented at Melbourne’s Next Wave Festival Mentorship of emerging Indigenous producer, Louana Sainsbury to source funding support for creative development of a new Indigenous work, Blakkie Blakkie Brown by Nakkiah Lui. Jack Charles vs the Crown is presented at London’s Barbican in February, and tours to the Dublin Theatre Festival in October.
2015 -
-
InterConnections partnership with Malthouse theatre for the creative development of Blaque Showgirls by Indigenous playwright Nakkiah Lui. Creative development of Blackie Blackie Brown by Nakkiah Lui. Dana Waranara partnership with BlakDance to work with Indigenous choreographers in
-
-
collaboration with presenters and producers. Head Full of Love directed by Wesley Enoch national Blak Lines tour to 23 venues. Winds of Woerr by Torres Strait islander Ghenoa Gela is presented at Tandanya in Adelaide. The Season by Nathan Maynard, creative development with emerging Indigenous playwright from Tasmania included in Yellamundie.
2016 -
-
-
-
Jack Charles vs the Crown tours three centres in Canada in January and February ATYP’s Sugarland tours through Blak Lines consortium, winning a Helpmann Award for Best Regional Tour Nathan Maynard’s The Season was developed with planned presentation in 2017 My Urrwai by Ghenoa Gela undergoes creative development with Rachael Maza and Kate Champion Nakkiah Lui’s Blackie Blackie Brown is creatively developed throughout the year for future presentation Ghenoa Gela’s Winds of Woerr is presented at Regional Arts Australia’s ‘Artlands’ Festival
2017 -
-
-
Jack Charles vs the Crown tour to Canada and New York City Development and showing of My Urrwai by Ghenoa Gela Development and showing of A Call to Dance by Amrita Hepi Presentation of The Season by Nathan Maynard at Sydney Festival, Ten Days on the Island Festival and Melbourne Festival Saltbush national Blak Lines tour to 14 venues Blak Lines New Work Platform in association with YIRRAMBOI First Nations Arts Festival, Melbourne Performance of Monster by Josh Pether at YIRRAMBOI Festival Development of Performing Country cultural safety initiative in partnership with BlakDance, APACA and Blackfulla Performing Arts Alliance
2018 -
-
-
Jack Charles vs the Crown will tour to New Zealand for presentation in March at the Auckland Arts Festival My Urrwai by Ghenoa Gela premieres with a season at Belvoir Theatre in January as part of the Sydney Festival, with further opportunities being negotiated The Season by Nathan Maynard will tour nationally in 2018
-
Performing Lines will be working with Indigenous artists on creative developments and future tours, including Bringing Up Trans by Katie Beckett, Sunshine Super Girl by Andrea James, and The Spirit of Things by Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs
2019 -
-
My Urrwai by Ghenoa Gela will tour nationally Sunshine Super Girl by Andrea James in development for premiere in late 2019 Blak Lines New Work Platform will be delivered alongside the YIRRAMBOI First Nations Arts Festival, Melbourne Development and reading of Bringing Up Trans by Katie Beckett