Tracker

Warning: Contains mention of deceased Aboriginal people.

I have said elsewhere during this Festival that it ‘takes a village’ to produce live theatre and Tracker is no exception. I feel it is important to credit all who contributed to this extraordinary tale with an entirely First Nations cast.  Now at the Adelaide Festival, its Perth Festival showing marked its second season following a world premiere at Sydney Festival in January 2023.

Tracker was initiated by Daniel Riley (Artistic Director of ADT) and commissioned by ILBIJERRI Theatre Company and produced by Bureau of Works and Australian Dance Theatre.  Assistance also came from the Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative, managed by the Australia Council in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc.  It was also commissioned by Sydney Festival, Perth Festival, Adelaide Festival, Rising (Melbourne), and Brisbane Festival.  Support by the Australian Government through the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund and the Australia Council; the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria; the City of Melbourne through Arts House; Besen Family Foundation; Dubbo Regional Council; Dubbo Regional Theatre & Convention Centre; Annamila Foundation (Melbourne); and the University of Melbourne’s Indigenous Knowledge Institute.

Wiradjuri Co-Director & Choreographer Daniel Riley (Australian Dance Theatre) has created a work inspired by his great-great Uncle, Alec “Tracker” Riley.  His co-director is Rachael Maza AM, Artistic Director of the ILBIJERRI Theatre Company and a much-lauded performer on Australian stages, television and film.  The narrative of Tracker shifts forwards and backwards in time as the battles First Nations people have shared for generations are brought to the fore through our narrator Archie, Ari Maza Long (Yidinji, Meriam) who also plays Alexander Riley in segments where the past is in focus. 

Archie portrayed by Long, enters the space and realises he is somewhat lost.  Torch and paper map in hand, Archie questions why he decided to travel to his ancestral Country in the middle of the night.  With affecting lighting and musical shifts we are transported to the past and view elements of ‘Tracker’ Riley’s life and work.  In the role he held for over 40 years for the NSW police force in and around Dubbo, Riley was integral finding lost people or stolen stock, and in the arrests of countless criminals; he also became the first Indigenous man to attain the rank of Sergeant.  Upon retirement Riley, always held in great esteem, received no official pension from the government on account of his Indigenous identity.

The work is billed as a multi-disciplinary one and yes, there are components of spoken text, gorgeous music, and dance.  The writing by Ursula Yovich (An-Burra with Serbian heritage) and Amy Sole (Wiradjuri/Worimi) is detailed and narrative in style with dramaturgy credited to Amy Sole and Jennifer Medway.  The atmospheric and sometimes thrilling rhythmic music/soundscape is played live on stage by Gary Watling (Wiradjuri) and compositions are by Watling and James Henry (Yuwaalaraay, Yorta Yorta).  The tracks are evocative and peppered with sounds of the bush, fauna, and water.  Haunting, visually and aurally stunning as this work is, I found myself craving more physical contact and blending of genres between ‘Archie/Alec’ and the dancers.  Opportunities were lost to elevate Tracker to a more truly cross-artform work.  One moment saw Archie lifted by the dancers as he spoke; I simply felt this kind of interaction could have been exhilarating were it utilised more.

ADT guest artists Tyrel Dulvarie (Yirrganydji, Djirrabul, Kalkadoon, Umpila), Rika Hamaguchi, (Yawuru, Bunaba, Bardi, Jaru and Japanese, Chinese, Scottish ancestry ), and Kaine Sultan-Babij (Arrernte, Afghan and Croatian heritage) are the dancers who embody the land, the water, spirit and more.  Their movement language was grounded with strong contemporary floor work and partnering.  Choreographically features include canon, exquisite flow, and seamless transitions.  The dancers also move props and set as required.

Visual & Spatial Designer Jonathan Jones (Wiradjuri, Kamilaroi) and Lighting Designer Chloë Ogilvie (Yamatji Nhanda) have combined their skills to effect a partially ‘in-the-round’ environment that works perfectly for this production.  A circular track with magnificent hanging, painted scrims is moved to delineate scenes and times.  These are by Scenic Artist Merindah Funnell, Tubba-Gah woman and great granddaughter of Alec Riley and depict a river scene on one and an abstract pattern on the other (the action takes place close by the Macquarie River, near Dubbo).  Costume Designer is Ailsa Paterson and the blend of earthy colours and denim does the job well.  The project also had Elders attached to it, Aunty Shirley Mathews and Aunty Ann Cribb, and Wiradjuri Language Translator Aunty Dianne Riley-McNaboe.

Given that Tracker is showing under the banner of Australian Dance Theatre, I stand by my wish for more blended content to merit the term ‘dance’ in the Adelaide Festival program.  The opening night audience were incredibly attentive and many stood for the ovation, in solidarity and loving endorsement.  This work is a testament to our shameful past so many Australians still are unaware of, or worse, have no qualms about.  It is also a loving, observational and rich tale that should be seen by many.

Lisa Lanzi

Photographer: Pedro Greig