Jacka VC

A new rock and roll musical brings to life the incredible story of an Australian immortal - Victoria Cross recipient Albert Jacka. Jackson McInerney spoke to the director, writer and star William James Smith.

The centenary of ANZAC celebrations has offered artists the opportunity to share with the public some of our lesser-known wartime history. Albert Jacka was Australia’s first true living war hero: his face on every recruitment poster; his exploits in every newspaper; his deeds on the battlefield beyond belief. The new musical Jacka VC: Legend of Gallipoli gives modern Australians a chance to take a journey with Jacka through the bloody trenches of the Turkish and Western Fronts.

For show creator and lead William Smith, bringing Jacka to life has been a long and passionate journey. Smith formed the cult military rock band HMAS Vendetta in Melbourne, 2010. The band wrote and performed orchestral rock songs inspired by Australian military history, featuring electric violin and cello.

Emboldened by the success of these songs with the young gig-goers of Melbourne, Smith began conceiving a rock opera based on Australian history.

‘I wanted to take it to the next level,’ says Smith. ‘I was originally going to write a musical about convicts, but then I read this incredible book by Michael Lawriwsky – Hard Jacka.’

Impressed by the remarkable tales of heroism and surprised that Jacka wasn’t a household name among younger Australians, Smith sought Lawriwsky’s permission to use the book as the basis for the musical. Lawriwsky granted permission and has been involved in the development and promotion of the piece since.

‘The musical is the story of Jacka’s wartime service,’ says Smith. ‘His background was an ordinary one. But it's a story about the extraordinary potential inside of everyone. There was nothing ordinary about Albert Jacka in the end. When the circumstances were such, he became an immortal, he was the Australian Achilles.’

Jacka’s actions during combat were like those of a superhero. His Victoria Cross, the first awarded to an Australian, and one of the highest military honors, came during fierce fighting at Gallipoli.  His commendation for VC read:

‘Lance-Corporal Jacka, while holding a portion of our trench with four other men, was heavily attacked. When all except himself were killed or wounded, the trench was rushed and occupied by seven Turks. Lance-Corporal Jacka at once most gallantly attacked them single-handed, and killed the whole party, five by rifle fire and two with the bayonet.’

Later on the fields near the Somme, after more than 5,000 ANZACS lost their lives in just three days, Jacka led a group of just seven men against 50 Germans, personally killing more than 12 and freeing 40 prisoners. During the combat, Jacka was wounded seven times, including being shot through the neck.

For Smith, the opportunity to tell Jacka’s story to a new generation of Australians is welcome. The challenge, as for any director, is to bring it to life authentically, in a way which thoroughly entertains the audience.

‘This is not the dawn service. This is going into a theatre and expecting to have your socks knocked off,’ says Smith.‘There is no silent reflection here, the audience is getting taken into the war and following the men; being scared with them; being happy for them, being sad for them, that's what it is about.’

To this end, production designer Valentina Serebrennikova has overseen a modernisation of the ANZACs' uniform and construction of an abstract, otherworldly set, described by Smith as a ‘rock concert in a war zone.’

Nicholas Buc, charged with orchestrating the original songs by Smith, has brought elements of power-metal and operatic rock.

‘The band includes bass, electric cello, electric violin, keyboards and drums,’ says Smith. ‘At the risk of being sued by Lars Ulrich I suppose Metallica has influenced us a fair bit. The Symphony and Metallica was a great record I think and a lot of this music sounds a bit like it, in that it’s a rock band playing some hard music backed up by an orchestra.’

The RSL of Victoria, the Shrine of Remembrance and Legacy Victoria proudly supportJacka VC. For Smith, this approval from veterans gives him confidence that the audience will depart shows imbued with, or at least reminded of, the spirit of ANZAC.

‘I want people who come to see this show to respect what the characters in the show achieved,’ says Smith.

‘I want them to feel a sense of reverence for the sacrifices that were made, but I also want them to feel pride, because sacrifice is only part of the story. The ANZACs transformed the Australian self-image. After the Great War, the Australians felt that they were the equals of anyone. 

‘Jacka is not the subject of any history classes any Australian student attends, whereas Ned Kelly is. As far as I'm concerned, Albert Jacka is a far better hero than Ned Kelly. We know about the great General Monash and rightly so, he's got Universities and roads named after him. What about the fighting soldier? What about the person who put life and limb on the line to achieve the military objectives that the generals laid out?’

Jacka VC: Legend of Galipolli plays at Darebin Arts Centre on October 9^th and 10^th and at Capital Theatre Bendigo on October 17^th.

www.jackavc.com.au 

Photographer: Andrew McGrail