Since Ali Died

Since Ali Died Omar Musa - photo by David Charles CollinsFollowing sold out seasons at Sydney’s Griffin Theatre Company, including their inaugural Batch Festival, rapper, poet and award-winning author Omar Musa brings his electrifying show Since Ali Died to Arts Centre Melbourne from 13 August 2019.

Using the death of his hero Muhammad Ali as a lyrical springboard, Musa dives into a furious torrent of poetry, story and song, confronting everything from suburban violence to lost love to his Malaysian heritage and the dark realities of growing up as a brown-skinned Muslim boy in Queanbeyan, Australia.

Award-winning director Anthea Williams is once more at the helm of this live wire, hypnotic and totally unmissable hour of theatre.

Omar Musa is a Malaysian-Australian rapper, poet and author from Queanbeyan. In his writing and music, he confronts the dark realities of Australian history and culture. He has released two solo hip hop records and an album with international duo MoneyKat. Musa’s debut novel Here Come the Dogs has received widespread critical acclaim and praise. He has recently toured internationally, performing spoken word and hip hop, to launch the book.

His diverse career achievements include being long listed for the Miles Franklin Award and named one of the SMH’s Young Novelists of the Year in 2015, winning the Australian Poetry Slam in 2008, speaking at TEDx Sydney, appearing on ABC’s Q&A and releasing three books of poetry: The Clocks, Parang and Millefiori.

Anthea Williams is a director and dramaturg who specialises in new work. For Belvoir she has directed Hir, Kill the Messenger, Cinderella and Old Man. She was awarded Best Director in a Mainstage Production at the Sydney Theatre Awards 2017 for Hir. For London’s Bush Theatre she directed Two Cigarettes, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Turf, suddenlossofdignity.com and The Great British Country Fete.

Williams’ other directing credits include Flight Paths (National Theatre of Parramatta), The Colby Sisters of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania (NIDA) and gin cabaret Mother’s Ruin, which since 2016 has been performed in Australia and internationally, including a recent UK tour. Williams was a 2018 Churchill Fellowship recipient.

“Intelligent, well-written and superbly performed, Since Ali Died is also an original and stimulating piece of theatre which should be seen by anyone interested in questioning their place in an increasingly complex world.” – Bill Stephens OAM, Australian Arts Review


Since Ali Died
Fairfax Studio – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Season: 13 – 17 August 2019
Information and Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au

Image: Omar Musa – photo by David Charles Collins