My Cousin Frank A NORPA production, written and told by Rhoda Roberts AO

Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA)

Based in Lismore in Northern NSW, NORPA is a not-for-profit theatre company with a thirty-year track record of making original Australian work inspired by the country and culture around us. We make bold and vital theatre for everyone and are recognised for creating work at the intersection of community, place and popular theatre. NORPA supports artform and artist development, youth engagement, and is dedicated to supporting First Nations and Indigenous artists through residencies, workshops and new works about Bundjalung country.

Having lost our home and theatre in the 2022 Lismore Flood, we have spent the last two years focusing on creating and presenting original site-specific productions through partnerships with local businesses, aligned government agencies, and iconic locations. 

NORPA holds an awarded track record for creating ambitious theatre works that attracts large audiences. These include Railway Wonderland (2012, 2015) set on a disused railway station, Dreamland (2016, 2019) presented in local halls, and Wildskin (2018, 2024) staged in a large rural shed. Flow (2019, 2023) was restaged as free, outdoor music concerts telling the dreaming story of Bundjalung and Yaegl people’s connection to water. Love For One Night was recognised by the Australian Performing Arts Centres peak body (PAC) winning an IMPACT Award in 2023 and gained national and local media coverage. NORPA bring homegrown stories to life in locations that prove small towns have big creative potential.

NORPA is led by Julian Louis (Artistic Director), Libby Lincoln (Executive Director) and our First Nations Creative Director is Rhoda Roberts AO.

Rhoda Roberts AO

Writer and Performer

Rhoda Roberts AO is a Widjabul Wia-bul woman of the Bundjalung Nation. She is an award-winning producer, artistic director, journalist, broadcaster, actor and arts advisor who continues to make a vital contribution to the media, performing and Indigenous arts in Australia. Amongst her many achievements Rhoda co-founded Australia’s first national Aboriginal theatre company, was the first Aboriginal presenter on prime-time TV, founded and directed the Festival of Dreaming and was Head of First Nations Programming for the Sydney Opera House. She was awarded an Order of Australia in 2016 for distinguished service to the performing arts. Rhoda is NORPA’s Creative Director of First Nations, Creative Director of the Parrtjima Festival in Alice Springs and Director of the Boomerang Festival. 

Kirk Page

Director

Kirk Page is a Screen Practitioner, Theatre Maker, Movement Consultant, Choreographer and Director.

Widely acclaimed for his physical theatre, aerial and dance work, Kirk has appeared in Martin del Amo’s Slow Dances for Fast times. He also performed at the Catapult Festival for the Bathurst Regional Council, Ochres for Bangarra Dance Theatre, which toured Australia and internationally, A Midsummer Night's Dream for Opera Australia and performed numerous times for Legs on the Wall, in productions including Eora Crossing and Runners Up. In musical theatre, Kirk has appeared in Priscilla for Back Row Productions, The Sunshine Club for Sydney Theatre Company, Corrugation Road for Black Swan Theatre Company, Dreamland for NORPA and One Night the Moon for Malthouse Theatre.

On screen, Kirk played the lead in Bloodlines for SBS Films and the Australian Film Commission and also appeared in the film Shadow Play for Porchlight Films. He has also appeared in the ABC television series Redfern Now.

As a Movement Director, Kirk has worked in film, television and theatre. Having worked on the ABC's My Place and on feature film Bran Nue Dae, in 2006 he also choreographed the Indigenous section of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games My Skin, My Life. Kirk was also as Assistant Director for Bloodland and worked as an outside eye for Posts in the Paddock My Darling Patricia.