This musical is based on the documentary Prison Songs about the lives of 'Berrimah Hilton' inmates.
CAST: Shellie Morris, Ernie Dingo, Kamahi Djordon King, Llyod Malalung, Jim Dunlop, Jada Alberts and Bronwyn Turei.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Wayne Freer
SOUND AND VISUAL DESIGNER: Tim Cole
Preview on 6 - 9 August 2015, Darwin Festival, Northern Territory.
Prison Songs
Casey Bennetto
(composer),
Kelrick Martin
(director),
( dir. Kelrick Martin
)
2015
8225358
2015
single work
film/TV
'Prison Songs is billed as “Australia’s first musical documentary’ where the subjects express themselves through songs written by Casey Bennetto and Indigenous singer/songwriter Shellie Morris.'
It is captivating, heartbreaking, uplifting and unique.
'Watching prisoners singing and dancing in the unforgiving surrounds of the prison walls is inspiring stuff. Most of the male and female inmates are Indigenous, adding a poignancy to the documentary. The proportion of domestic violence, alcoholism and addiction in their stories is high.'
'Inmates break into hip hop, blues, country, reggae and gospel tunes as they sing about their backgrounds and their daily toil. There are solos, duos and group numbers performed in cells, workyards, laundries -musically giving us access to the personalities behind the prison cases.' (Source: TV Tonight website)
