Cirrus@Austlit

'On a steamy, hot day in January 1788, seven Aboriginal men, representing the nearby clans, gather at Warrane. Several newly arrived ships have been sighted in the great bay to the south, Kamay. The men meet to discuss their response to these visitors. All day, they talk, argue, debate. Where are the visitors from? What do they want? Might they just warra warra wai back to where they came from? Should they be welcomed? Or should they be made to leave? The decision of the men must be unanimous -- and will have far-reaching implications for all. Throughout the day, the weather is strange, with mammatus clouds, unbearable heat and a pending thunderstorm ... Somewhere, trouble is brewing.

'From award-winning author and playwright Jane Harrison, The Visitors is an audacious, earthy, funny, gritty and powerful re-imagining of a crucial moment in Australia's history - and an unputdownable work of fiction.' (Publication summary)

'First Nations Monologues brings together over 30 bold texts, each an excerpt from a play written by esteemed playwrights such as Jada Alberts, Kodie Bedford, Wesley Enoch, Andrea James, Leah Purcell, and many more. These gritty and poignant monologues, from a range of genres including comedies, dramas, and biographies, are selected from plays that have captivated audiences in leading theatres, often breaking box office records.

'First Nations Monologues pays homage to the diverse perspectives that resonate throughout the country, embodying a timeless ritual of storytelling that remains crucial as First Nations people continue to endure, resist, and thrive. Through this anthology, the voices and lived experiences of First Nations individuals are honoured, contributing to a body of work that seeks to decolonise and prioritise vital narratives.

'Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison has curated a collection of monologues that speaks to the multivalent experiences and unyielding spirit of First Nations communities.'(Publication summary)

'We join seven Aboriginal Elders in 1788 as they meet ‘The Visitors’.

;Imbued with Aboriginal customs, melody and humour from composer Christopher Sainsbury and libretto by original playwright and Muruwari woman, Jane Harrison, it tells the story of the early days of colonialism and its impacts on the First Peoples. Through metaphors of birds falling from the sky and changes to the weather, we watch as the Elders question how to respond to ‘the visitors’.'

Source: Production blurb.

'A First Nations woman decides to take her family on Country to do lockdown. Together they find peace in stripping things back to their most essential; chopping wood, fetching water, with no internet and no real connection to the outside world. On returning to the city, she discovers the news of George Floyd’s death and the explosion of the Black Lives Matter movement, here and overseas.'

Source: Malthouse Theatre.

'An older woman who lives alone looks out on the world changing around her, where isolation has become the norm. She’s been doing the Marie Kondo thing, when a friend knocks on her door, takes her out into the wide world and down to the beach. A surprise hug brings out a flood of emotions, and the grief over her deceased partner back into view.'

Source: Malthouse Theatre.

'Maggie is a pregnant building-owner tree-changer, overwhelmed with decisions about tiles and taps — until tragedy strikes. Her small, private grief sits alongside the sudden, very public death of the ‘People’s Princess.’ Eventually, the flowers wilt and the condolence cards stop, and the tribute songs don’t play on the radio, but Maggie can’t stop wondering — how do you keep a small memory alive?'

Source: National Playwrighting Festival program.

'Set within the explosive cultural shifts of the 1960s and 1980s, Becoming Kirrali Lewis chronicles the journey of a young Aboriginal teenager as she leaves her home town in rural Victoria to take on a law degree in Melbourne in 1985. Adopted at birth by a white family, Kirrali doesn't question her cultural roots until a series of life-changing events force her to face up to her true identity.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Seven senior law men, in fine suits, meet on the shores of a harbour to discuss the 11 large boats that have just arrived. Should they be welcomed to country or should these seven clan representatives of the Dharug nation, people from what became known as Sydney, combine to get rid of the unwelcome visitors? They take a vote – it must be unanimous – and one of them reckons the visitors mightn’t be all bad. This is a powerful, imaginative response to the beginnings of modern Australia.' (Production summary)

'David Unaipon had a commitment to sharing his stories with non-Aboriginal people. What can we make of this? Did he mean they have the freedom to adopt Aboriginal myths and stories without qualm, without recourse, without responsibility? Or did he merely hope that they would be valued as part of our country's cultural expression?' (Source: Back cover)

'Two women meet on an Alice Springs-bound plane. Susan’s a successful ex-pat actor, happy to have snared a role in the Law and Order franchise; Inala’s an unsuccessful playwright of dubious heritage. They are both in Alice to handle mysterious “family business”. Thrown together, they stagger through a minefield of political correctness and identity confusion, distracted by an old Kombi called Birra Birra, T-shirts plastered with slogans, a smoking ceremony, Krispy Kreme donuts, topless traditional dancing and the occasional vomit bag…' (Source: Inscription website)