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West Australian Opera Bran Nue Dae returns to Perth

Headshot of David Cusworth
David CusworthThe West Australian
Ernie Dingo, centre, leads the cast of Bran Nue Dae.
Camera IconErnie Dingo, centre, leads the cast of Bran Nue Dae. Credit: Prudence Upton

MUSICAL

Bran Nue Dae

4.5 STARS

Regal Theatre

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REVIEW DAVID CUSWORTH

A lonely lament opens the 30th anniversary revival of Bran Nue Dae — a song perhaps too contentious for the original show.

Acceptable Coon is a haunting reflection on the exuberant, joyful memories this landmark musical evokes: “So learn all the white things they teach you in school/and you’ll all become acceptable coons.”

Intoned by Marcus Corowa, as a mature incarnation of the romantic lead Willie, it speaks of bitter fruit, of reconciliation promised but not delivered — of Bob Hawke’s “no child living in poverty”, of Redfern, Mabo, closing the gap, the apology, and many losses in between.

Olman Walley’s welcome to country in indigenous language stood in stark contrast; a beguiling voice and booming didgeridoo more redolent of author Jimmy Chi’s defiant humour.

The gap was linguistic as well as sentimental; Corowa channelling what fellow indigenous artist Mitch Tambo calls “those epic vowels” in English. When language and English came together in Nyul Nyul Girl, Willie’s hymn to lover Rosie (Teresa Moore), the contrast was intriguing; a sense of the counter melody driving the inner dialogue.

It’s also a leitmotif of this festival — language meets English — and in a sense it started here.

Corowa and Moore gave the production hope and belief, while veteran Ernie Dingo underwrote its comic timing as the trickster Uncle Tadpole, reprising his movie role.

His counterpart in Aunty Theresa, Ngaire Pigram, added heart to Dingo’s dramatic intent, the pair modelling the male-female divide in traditional society.

Not every note was perfect, but Pigram and Moore in particular owned the country ballad, chiming in to a faultless bush band.

Andrew Moran, as Father Benedictus — doubling as a caricature country copper and publican — added a truly operatic dimension, while Callan Purcell (Slippery) and Danielle Sibosado (Marijuana Annie) provided the dramatic vehicle linking Perth to Broome — a Kombi van — with a touch of vaudeville to offset Dingo and Corowa’s rugged native wit.

Add an ensemble by turns lyric, comic and athletic, and the mix was bound to brew.

The grain of sand in the oyster was the Regal Theatre, with its choc bombs and strictly no drinks in the foyer, a boisterous crowd in every shade of cotton print, stubbies and thongs, all conspiring to bring the country cinema setting alive.

Deft design and direction, assisted by telling back-projection, created swift scene changes to match the many mood swings which give this Broome-time saga its drive; a “bitzer” of style and expression as varied as the melting pot the old pearling hub represents.

Jokes about Stolen Generations and a priest fathering offspring with the flock might seem risque in a family show, but the mix of sacred and profane unlocks an energy all of its own, spiced by the many family links between this and the original cast.

Big show numbers Nothing I Would Rather Be (Than to Be an Aborigine), and the signature tune Bran Nue Dae trigger a celebration of shared humanity — in the wind up, all bar the priest, police and publican are accepted as indigenous — with prescient allusions to issues still to be addressed.

At the last, the auditorium erupted in a spontaneous dance party, proof this crowd pleaser has legs in it yet.

Bran Nue Dae runs until February 15. Tickets from Ticketek.

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