Matriarch

Upon entering the Cremorne, you’re greeted with a huge representation of Australian Aboriginal artwork projected on screen at the back of the stage. Beneath it, simple but effective set design of natural elements – grasses, rocks, shells – along with indigenous art depicting a creek on the floor immediately transport you to the bush. A soundtrack of bird and animal calls, and live didgeridoo played by Minjarrah Jarrett further enhance the mood as the performer, Sandy Greenwood emerges on stage.

Sandy’s powerfully moving and personal work explores the experiences of her matriarchal line; their lives, loves and culture, the racism they encountered, oppression, theft of their children and murder of their kin. It’s also a haunting display of how it feels to identify as Aboriginal, while at times being accused of ‘looking too white’. Sandy exposes the raw pain of her guilt – benefiting from passing as white while her mother encountered daily racism.

The narrative looks at the ways in which connecting with country and family can help to heal inter-generational trauma in indigenous people. It also celebrates the strong, loving spirit of four Gumbaynggirr women in Sandy’s family tree, with their stories spanning over 100 years of Australian history. Her personal experiences, coupled with rare photos of her family become eerily familiar, as we are all transported through her heritage and tragedy. Several audience members openly weep at the retelling of these tales.

As a performer, Sandy is very flexible and adept at molding herself physically and vocally into each character. Her obvious physical discipline allows her to make hard choreography look effortless. She lovingly conjures a tangible, natural world, where the wilderness is celebrated, revealing to us the beauty of the way in which her ancestors lived. Her pain and anger is palpable when depicting the horrible ways her mother, gran and nan were treated. She’s very brave and throws her entire essence into the performance.

The artistic vision is supported by subtle and endearing lighting design. Sound design is authentic to Australian environments and adapted for the arena perfectly, becoming a third performer. The combination of one woman, one man, and one didgeridoo, alongside wonderful set, lighting and sound design, creates a lovely foundation for the emotionally charged work that is evocative and inspiring in a modern-day world that still grapples with racial identity. In the leadup to Christmas, this show delivers a timely reminder of the strength of family bonds and the importance of connecting with your home.

Matriarch is an expert handling of inter-generational trauma, institutionalised racism, and the continuing struggle faced by those identifying as indigenous. When this reviewer went to school, Australian history was not taught with a respect to the stolen generation or the atrocious massacres of indigenous people. It’s important these stories are told. Plays such as this break your heart, enhancing the yearning for a united country, without such awful ignorant savagery directed at Aboriginal people. The work serves as an aperitif for change. It is only in the capable arms of our native people that these stories can be shared authentically to inspire understanding, equality and healing.

Kiesten McCauley 

Photographer: Seiya Taguch