Riverside presents
An Ensemble Theatre Production
BLACK COCKATOO
Written by Geoffrey Atherden
Directed by Wesley Enoch
In 1868, 13 Aboriginal men from country Victoria became the first Australian cricket team to tour England.
Starring Australia’s first Indigenous sporting hero Unaarrimin, AKA Johnny Mullagh, they represented a nation in waiting that wouldn’t recognise their rights – or even their humanity – for another century.
Written by iconic screenwriter Geoffrey Atherden (Mother and Son, BabaKiueria) with award-winning director Wesley Enoch (Black Diggers, Sydney Festival 2014), Black Cockatoo begins in the present day with a group of young activists breaking into a museum to expose the truth of what happened to Johnny and his mates. A story of triumph and tragedy unfolds, spanning from the wild frontiers of western Victoria to the upper-class home of cricket, Lord’s.
Directed by Enoch and starring Luke Carroll, Joseph Althouse, Chenoa Deemal, Aaron McGrath, Colin Smith and Dubs Yunupiŋgu, this funny and moving play is about more than sport – it’s a story of resilience, resistance and inspiration.
Recommended for ages 12+
FYI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences are advised that this show contains depictions of people who have passed away
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australian Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.
Playwright
Geoffrey Atherden
Director
Wesley Enoch (Noonuccal Nuugi)
Cultural Consultant
Uncle Richard Kennedy (Wotjobaluk traditional owner and descendant of First XI team member, Dick-a-dick)
Assistant Director and Choreographer
Yolande Brown (Bidjara Clan of Kunja Nation)
Set and Costume Designer
Richard Roberts
Lighting Designer
Trent Suidgeest
Associate Lighting Designer
Shiloh Jarrett (Gumbyngirr/Anmatjere)
Composer and Sound Designer
Steve Francis
Dramaturg
Jane Fitzgerald
Stage Manager
Natalie Moir
Assistant Stage Manager
Alira McKenzie Williams
Hero Image
Christian Trinder
Performers
Joseph Althouse
Luke Carroll
Chenoa Deemal
Aaron McGrath
Colin Smith
Dubs Yunupingu
