Following a sell-out premiere Melbourne season in 2016, a four week sell out Sydney Festival run and a swag of Green Room Award nominations, ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s heart warming dramedy Which Way Home embarks on a national tour from late May through to mid August.
Which Way Home is the story of an aboriginal girl, her much loved ageing dad and their road trip to his birthplace. It’s his return home to country, where the sky is higher and the world goes on forever.
Tash and her dad journey from Yuggerah country Ipswich to Muriwarri Country Goodooga learning new things about each other along the way. They experience moments of hilarity and annoyance as the trivial become exaggerated within the four doors of a car.
Which Way Home draws on writer Katie Beckett’s personal memories of growing up with her single Aboriginal father. Her mother died when she just 5 years old, leaving her dad to raise 3 children. He also lost his sister, grandmother and mother all within the space of a month.
“The reason I wrote Which Way Home was because I love my dad. He is a loving, wonderful, strong man,” said Beckett. “I have had a lot of wonderfully strong and emotionally in tune, generous men around me growing up and I was wondering why don’t I see the aboriginal men that I grew up with represented on stage, on TV, on film?”
Directed by Rachael Maza, Beckett plays Tash and her Dad is played by new cast member Kamahi Djordon King whose stage credits include The Shadow King – Malthouse Theatre’s Aboriginal adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear – which featured at major Australian festivals and headlined at London’s Barbican Centre as part of Shakespeare’s 400th birthday celebrations.
Katie Beckett’s television acting credits include Redfern Now and The Marshes, whilst her stage credits include This Fella, My Memory (Moogahlin Performing Arts), Impossible Plays, Pull My Strings and I Will Play for You, WrongSkin (Next Wave Festival), Winyaboga and To Soothe a Dying Pillow (Andrea James).
Her film credits include Oakie’s Adventure, One More Time and Blackground. Beckett was the recipient of The Balnaves Foundation Indigenous Playwright’s Award (2015) for her work, Severed Cord, and is also a founding member of the Cope St Collective.
Director: Rachael Maza Featuring: Katie Beckett, Kamahi Djordon King Sound Designer: Mark Coles Smith Set & Costume Designer: Emily Barrie Lighting Designer: Nik Pajanti Dramaturge: Jane Bodie Production Managers: Nick Glen & Jake Jobling Stage Manager: Brock Brocklesby
Presented as part of an extensive Australian tour, Which Way Home will be presented at Riverlinks Westside, Shepparton (30 May); Altona Theatre (31 May); and The Bowery Theatre, St Albans (1 June). For more information and complete touring schedule, visit: www.ilbijerri.com.au for details.
Image: Kamahi Djordon King and Katie Beckett feature in Which Way Home (supplied)