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Canberra Today 17°/20° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Review: ‘Hipbone’ brings the house down

 

Elders taking part in the production, from left, Mavis Pat, Allery Sandy and Tricia Pat with director Scott Rankin.
Elders taking part in the production, from left, Tricia Pat, Allery Sandy and Mavis Pat with director Scott Rankin.
RARELY can an audience be treated to theatre that is extremely moving, relevant, educational and highly innovative in a most engrossing and entertaining way.

“Hipbone Sticking Out” is one such production. It is part opera and part documentary drama that makes historical links between current attitudes and events and the very lives of people living on this continent.

The design is visually spectacular with effective video integrated into the flexible stage set. The music, in conjunction with the setting, is used to provide the dreamscape that is at once highly engaging while thematically based in the core of the story. The acting and singing is tempered with authenticity and exceptional power to communicate.

This is all the more remarkable as the work was created over three years with people from the Roebourne community in the Pilbara region; some of whom appear in the production.

There was a seamless blending of professional performers with community actors. The talents of Trevor Jamieson (Pitjantjatjara), Derik Lynch (Yankunytjatjara), Lex Marinos (Greece/Wagga Wagga), Simon Gleeson (Scotland) Natalie O’Donnell (UK) and Jada Alberts (Yanyuwa/Larrakia) ensured many surprises and consistent engagement with the audience.

The standing ovation and the obvious rapport between performers and audience represented a rare moment that is surely a highlight of the Centenary of Canberra program.

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