The Visitors

The Visitors
By Jane Harrison. Moogahlin Performing Arts. Sydney Festival. Carriageworks, Bay 20. Jan 22 – 26, 2020

Jane Harrison’s intriguing new play imagines seven Aboriginal men watching and arguing over the arrival of Arthur Phillip and his ships at Botany Bay in 1788.

They’ve arrived from across country and lead warriors on the ready to give resistance. But first, passing the message stick, they hold a formal council of elders. Another plan eventually wins support: they really pity these ugly looking visitors and, expecting that they pine to return their own country, will welcome them, briefly, to theirs.  

Standing amongst the trees and shadows of Lisa Mimmocchi’s beautiful landscape, amidst the sounds of sea, wind and bush (Phil Downing), the elders are dressed in suits, denoting their status.  

One in fact is a youth representing an elder. He develops a wrenching cough, caught no doubt from getting too close to the visitors – in a poignant touch of fate. There are other good human elements of pride, banter, disrespect and anger as the varied elders repeat and contend the arguments.

 

This circular repetition and an occasional stiltedness in language does impinge on Frederick Copperwaite’s production for Moogahlan Perfoming Arts, but the tension certainly holds, even as everyone waits, and the ships stay anchored offshore.   

The generally accomplished cast, not identified to roles, is John Blair, Damion Hunter, Colin Kinchela, Nathan Leslie, Leroy Parsons, Glenn Shea and Kerri Simpson.

Martin Portus

Photographer: Jamie James

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