Is That You, Ruthie?

Based on Dr Ruth Hegarty’s true family tale (the David Unaipon award-winning novel), writer/director Leah Purcell hopes that her version of Is That You, Ruthie? will be unifying – and I think she has fulfilled her aim. Her script, stage setting and shining cast – Melodie Reynolds-Diarra as Ruthie and Chenoa Deemal as her mother, Ruby – bring this family (and Queensland) story to life with warmth and humour. And that is a mean feat, considering the stained backdrop of government history whose ripples are still being felt by our First Nations families today. Told in ‘yarn’ style as a narrated tale, this is a story of our recent history that every Australian should see.

Ruth Hegarty was born in 1929 at the onset of the Great Depression. When her grandparents voluntarily checked the family (including newborn Ruth and her young Mum, Ruby) into the Cherbourg Aboriginal settlement in Queensland, their plan was a temporary one to survive that devastating time. But once checked in, they could not leave. The families worked for the state, and belonged to the state, all under the auspices of Queensland’s Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897. This was legislated slavery and genocide by another name, hidden in regional Queensland, but reaching into nearby towns including Murgon, Jandowae and Toowoomba. The government and charitable institutions involved did such a good job of indoctrinating their inmates and covering their tracks that, even today, some people choose to believe that this nightmarish tale could not be true, that ‘the Stolen Generation’ did not happen. Even Ruth does not want to be reminded of her history and, when she finds the files the Queensland government kept on her, she yells: ‘You can destroy the lot!’ to the local council worker, who replies ‘You can’t do that – these files don’t belong to you: they belong to the government!’ Luckily for us, this important cascading paper trail becomes the basis for Ruth’s book about her life.

Ruth explores her experience with good humour and a sense of fun behind her rage and frustration. The reality of the play’s title – a haunting, taunting inquisition, rather than gleeful, loving recognition – is absolutely heartbreaking. The fabric of this family has been torn by a broken system. But Ruth has a loving determination to not just ‘make do’, but mend. And so, as well as the estrangement between mother and daughter, our brilliant performers get to show their comic timing and dance moves. Melodie Reynolds-Diarra (Ruthie) is a Wangkathaa woman from Western Australia and Chenoa Deemal (Ruby) is from the Guugu Yimithirr people of Far North Queensland. These two talented actors play multiple characters, and have wonderful scenes together as Ruthie and her ‘dorm girl’ mates, escaping to the nearby creek to daydream and re-enact their favourite scenes from the Hollywood musicals of the day. And yes, there are some snappy moves courtesy of choreographer, Jeanette Fabila. The set design is a backdrop of white paperwork that takes on projections of Ruth and her family, in a historical documentary style, with lighting by Ben Hughes, video by Justin Harrison and music and sound by Wil Hughes. The basic blue uniforms that the girls have to wear become versatile multi-costumes in the hands of costume designer, Chloe Greaves, who also created the set. While a full-on dramatic adaptation of Ruth’s story could create a six-part mini-series, this 90-minute one-act play is the perfect encapsulation. And, apart from a cuppa with this 94-year-old Queensland legend herself, there’s no better way to meet Ruth than to see her play.

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Peter Wallis/Wallis Media

Find out more: www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2023/is-that-you-ruthie