Australia Felix

A runaway convict who lived with nine Aboriginal tribes, and inspired the exploration of western Victoria, is the subject of a musical revue being staged in Sydney this March/April.

Director and writer Geoffrey Sykes says the remarkable life of George Clark – also known as the flying barber - is presented by ‘travelling players’ in the tradition of ballads and storytelling. 

“It’s set on the eve of his execution, with the sandstone and brick wall of the (Richard Wherrett) studio a perfect ambient setting for a nineteenth century jail - where executions were public events.

“It deliberately uses an entertaining convention to re-open questions of history. It’s a great story of the accomplishment of one man - a kind of Lawrence of Arabia figure in this country.”

Like other successful runaways, Clark proved a great explorer, and his claims to have found a great inland river came to the attention of Thomas Mitchell, the then NSW Surveyor-General. 

Clarke was given a reprieve from punishment as a bushranger while Mitchell went off on a full expedition based on his advice and maps. The phrase Australia Felix – Latin for Australia fortunate -was used to describe the lush pastoral land of the region.

Australia Felix by Geoffrey Sykes 
The Life, Tales, Trials, Sentencing and Execution of Clarke the Flying Barber

Assistant director and musical director Kate Stewart and starring Mark Alexander, Rick Butler, Tisha Kelemen, Freya Moore and Kate Stewart. 
Visual design by Aschara Pothmann and Jonathon King.

March 22 - April 6 at the Richard Wherrett Studio, Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay

https://www.trybooking.com/COWVG