Gunawarra Re-creation

by Isobel Morphy-Walsh

Bear witness to the creation of new First Peoples stories for the stage

Murrun has returned to the watering hole. The same one Aunty Aggie used to take her to. Present and past collide.
There she meets her old friend Gunawarra. The Black Swan.
Gunawarra is a contemporary creation work based on Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) stories passed down. 

This work looks at the continuation of creation and the stories of Blak women healing.

Content note: References rape, sexual assault, violence to body, forced removal of children and genocide

SHOW DATES: 27 Nov - 7 Dec
SHOW TIMES:
Thurs 28 Nov 6pm
Fri 29 Nov 8pm
Sat 30 Nov 8pm
Tues 3 Dec 6pm
Wed 4 Dec 6pm
Thurs 5 Dec 8pm
Sat 7 Dec 3pm

Southbank Theatre, The Lawler
140 Southbank Blvd,
Southbank, VIC 3000

Meet the writer
Isobel Morphy-Walsh

Isobel Morphy-Walsh, a proud Nirim Baluk woman from the Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) people. Isobel is a mutli-disciplinary artists spanning both visual art and performance art, a weaver, a curator, a producer, an activist and an educator. Isobel has spent her life working with her community and our cultures with a particular emphasis on history, culture, country and its importance today.

Isobel comes from storytellers and weavers and continues both of those practises herself through her own contemporary and creation story-telling, singing and dramatic performance. Indeed Isobel Launched her first production combining her whole family skills in song, dance and story, ‘Gunga-na Dhum Nganinju (The stories we hold tightly) in 2023 as part of Yiramboi Festival.

Isobel’s visual arts practise is wide ranging and includes many mediums; weaving, lino printing, painting, fabric creation, woodwork, cultural objects and adornments and more recently working with metals. Her artwork can be found in state collections, over walls she passes, on the bodies of people she knows and in Heathcote as public Art. Many a yarn, spoken word and song can be heard in her presence. Both can be found on the internet.

CREATIVES

Writer Isobel Morphy-Walsh (Nirim Baluk)

Director Rachael Maza (Yidinji, Meriam)

Producer Joel Te Teira (Māori - Ngāti Maniapoto)

Set Designer Dann Barber

Set and Costume Design Secondment Emma Salmon and Stone Turner

Lighting Designer Katie Sfetkidis

Sound Designer James Henry (Yuwaalaraay, Gamilaraay, Yorta Yorta and Yuin)

Sound Design Secondment Todd J. Bennett

Cast Melodie Reynolds-Diarra, Carly Sheppard, Hannah Morphy-Walsh, and Kristel-Lee Kickett

Dramaturg Jules Orcullo

Design Associate Emma Holgate

 

Image Benny Clark, 2024

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