'Hold your index finger and thumb close together against a bright background, then bring them together. They seem to touch before they actually do. That, in its simplest form, is the Black Drop Effect.
'It’s also a new play by Yuwaalaraay woman Nardi Simpson; storyteller, performer, and songwriter with Stiff Gins. Black Drop Effect is an immersive, multi-layered exploration of black and white, generational conflict, and the ongoing effects of colonisation.
'Binno is an Aboriginal elder and erstwhile member of a community dance group who is asked to present a series of traditional dances, alongside an actor reading extracts from Captain Cook’s diaries, for a 26 January celebration.
'Binno is unsure, until his straight-talking sister Beenie convinces him to teach the dances to three young men seeking connections with culture, country and their place in the world. As they learn the dances and understand their meanings, a bigger plan emerges.
'Produced by Bankstown Arts Centre, and directed by Felix Cross, Black Drop Effect is an immersive, multi-layered experience that draws audiences into the contested space of ideas and emotions inspired by the 250 years of Australia’s colonial history.' (Production summary)
Performed as part of the 2020 Sydney Festival. World premiere, 14-18 January 2020 at Bankstown Arts Centre.
Director: Felix Cross.
Visual Designer: Lucy Simpson.
Composer: James Henry.
Choreographer: Matthew Doyle.
Video Designer: Mic Gruchy.
Lighting Designer: Karen Norris.
Production Manager: Amber Silk.
Stage Manager: Frankie Clarke.
Assistant Production Manager: Emjay Matthews.
Assistant Stage Managers: Steph Storr and Bianca Cruse.
Producer: Katrina Douglas.
Executive Producer: Vadana Ram.
Cast: William McPherson (Binno), Marlene Cummins (Bennie), Jane Phegan (Pip), Anthony Hunt (Andy), Googoorewon Knox (Max), Isaiah Kennedy (Brayden), and Ken Weldon (Charley Boy).
'For Yuwaalaraay singer and writer Nardi Simpson, author of Song of the Crocodile, a sense of place is fundamental to all her work. By Kate Holden.'
'Nardi Simpson’s debut play Black Drop Effect is the “immersive” experience the Sydney Festival program promises. Sitting in the stalls, as the sky darkened behind the outdoor stage, I was immersed in the present moment, in January 2020, and in the past too.' (Introduction)
'Nardi Simpson’s debut play Black Drop Effect is the “immersive” experience the Sydney Festival program promises. Sitting in the stalls, as the sky darkened behind the outdoor stage, I was immersed in the present moment, in January 2020, and in the past too.' (Introduction)
'For Yuwaalaraay singer and writer Nardi Simpson, author of Song of the Crocodile, a sense of place is fundamental to all her work. By Kate Holden.'
