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Sydney Festival THE LINE By Nathan Maynard

  • First Nations
  • Theatre
  • Drama Theatre
  • Run time: 90 minutes, no interval Subject to change
  • Seating map

World Premiere

A border drawn in blood cuts through time.

On October 7th, 1830, more than 2,200 soldiers and settlers reported to seven pre-arranged locations across “Van Diemen’s” land to execute the largest domestic military operation in Australian history. The plan – to form a human chain across the entire island, advancing gradually to forcefully displace Palawa people – later became known as ‘The Black Line’. In this major new work, award-winning Trawlwoolway and Palawa playwright Nathan Maynard shines an unflinching light on the violence that stretches from the Frontier Wars through to the present.

As ‘The Black Line’ cuts across the country, widowed settler Jane and her Palawa servant Muka find themselves in the eye of the storm brewing around them. Living on a remote property, their volatile yet symbiotic relationship will be pushed to extremes. While anchored in the past, Maynard’s propulsive and ambitious show is far from a simple period piece: it leaps and loops across time, Country, and form.

Prepare for a journey that is at once playful, devastating and transformational. Co-directed by Maynard and Dr Rachael Maza AM, THE LINE weaves immense historical and contemporary weight into a work of deft, defiant black comedy. THE LINE is anything but straight.

Presented by Sydney Opera House and Sydney Festival

Event details

Maza’s achievements have left an indelible mark on the Australian theatre landscape.

National Indigenous Times

[Maynard] blends ancient and contemporary culture with rambunctious charm.

The Age

Credits

Writer and Director
Nathan Maynard
Co-director
Dr Rachael Maza AM
Performers
ILBIJERRI Theatre Company

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Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

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Drama Theatre

The Drama Theatre is located in the north-western corner of Sydney Opera House, best accessed through the Western Foyers.

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