'Saddle up for the next big Black musical. Set in a small town in the northwest of Western Australia in the 1960s, Panawathi Girl overflows with wild joy as hippies and cowboys, politicians and protesters fuel an all-singing, all-dancing night of entertainment.
'Written by David Milroy, the much loved playwright behind Waltzing the Wilarra, and featuring an all-star cast of WA talent, this music-filled journey is brimming with heart and humour. Follow our heroine Molly Chubb from the big smoke back to the small country town of her birth as she searches for her place in the world.
'Set amidst a time of great political change, this bold new production from Yirra Yaakin will have you questioning if much has changed at all, even as it has you tapping your toes and yearning for more.' (Production summary)
Presented by Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company. Performed during the Perth Festival at His Majesty's Theatre, 8-13 February 2022.
Playwright & Band
David Milroy
Director
Eva Grace Mullaley
Musical Director & Band
Wayne Freer
Assistant Director
Adam Edwards
Choreographer
Janine Oxenham
Set Designer
Bruce McKinven
Costume Designer
Lynn Ferguson
Lighting Designer
Lucy Birkinshaw
Sound Designer
Jeremy Turner
Dramaturg
Sally Richardson
Senior Stage Manager
Jennifer Poh
Stage Manager
Jack Wilson
Assistant Stage Manager
Oliver Hughes & Iya Ware
Dresser
Qi Cao, Tara Ellis, Keira Gentle
Cast
Grace Chow, Peter Docker, Luke Hewitt, Chris Isaacs, Geoff Kelso, Angelica Lockyer, Nadia Martich, Lila McGuire, Gus Noakes, Teresa Rose, Maitland Schnaars, Manuao TeAotonga, Wimiya Woodley
Band
Ric Eastman, Adam Gare, Lucky Oceans
'A coming-of-age musical exploring the history of Australia’s race relations.'
'Viewing David Milroy’s new musical Panawathi Girl, the production is inevitably refracted through the fame of Jimmy Chi’s equally ground-breaking 1990 Perth Festival premiere Bran Nue Dae.' (Introduction)
'Viewing David Milroy’s new musical Panawathi Girl, the production is inevitably refracted through the fame of Jimmy Chi’s equally ground-breaking 1990 Perth Festival premiere Bran Nue Dae.' (Introduction)
'A coming-of-age musical exploring the history of Australia’s race relations.'