Xavier Herbert's classic novel of racial conflict in the Northern Territory during the 1930s has been expertly dramatized in this powerful and moving story of a man's journey of self discovery when he learns the truth of his Aboriginal parentage.
Louis Nowra (born 12 December 1950) is an Australian writer, playwright, screenwriter and librettist. His most significant plays are Così, Byzantine Flowers, Summer of the Aliens, Radiance, and The Golden Age. In 2007 he completed the The Boyce Trilogy for Griffin Theatre Company, consisting of The Woman with Dog's Eyes, The Marvellous Boy and The Emperor of Sydney. Many of his plays have been filmed.[1] He was born as Mark Doyle in Melbourne. He changed his name to Louis Nowra in the early 1970s. He studied at Melbourne's La Trobe University without earning a degree. In his memoir, The Twelfth of Never, Nowra claimed that he left the course due to a conflict with his professor on Patrick White's The Tree of Man. He worked in several jobs and lived an itinerant lifestyle until the mid-1970s when his plays began to attract attention. His radio plays include Albert Names Edward, The Song Room, The Widows and the five part The Divine Hammer aired on the ABC in 2003.[2] In March 2007, Nowra published a controversial book on violence in Aboriginal communities, Bad Dreaming. Nowra has been studied extensively in Veronica Kelly's work The Theatre of Louis Nowra. He resides in Sydney with his wife, author Mandy Sayer.
Wonderful dramatic adaptation of one of my favourite Australian novels. I saw the first production of the play about 30 years ago and was knocked out by the performances and the humour and pathos of the story. I've never seen the play advertised since. It seems to have been lost, which is quite sad really as it has so much to say about indigenous Australia and racial attitudes.