Set in the North of Australia, a place of extremes, Aboriginal girls are interned in government compounds, immigrant entrepreneurs rise within a fragile economy, and colonial protectionism is at its height. Crow is an epic story centred on one woman’s struggle to win back the land that is rightfully hers. Set in Darwin in 1942, just before the bombing of the city by the Japanese, Crow is a deeply moving but comical exploration of the time and people who inhabited that world.
This work was written for stage by Louis Nowra, commissioned by the State Theatre Company of South Australia in 1994, and embraces many thematic conventions of his earlier work Capricornia. Due to Covid-related obstacles, our production shifted from a live production to an audio theatre experience.
The challenge of adapting a stage play for radio is not an easy task. Most plays are written to create drama through action, where sub-plot is defined through visual cues, and the intimacy of human interactions are demonstrated through interpersonal nuance. The creative team have worked hard on presenting the essence of this story through voice acting, a technique none of us were experienced in. However, with the assistance of sound artist Phil Downing, I believe we have created an enjoyable audio experience that draws the listener into a familiar world occupied by some uncanny and very eccentric characters.
My approach to casting was informed by the writings of Jane Harrison’s work, INDIG-CURIOUS: Who can play Aboriginal roles?. Harrison argues that within an educational context, when the aim of a production is educational, a non-Aboriginal cast is acceptable (2012, p 48). Some of the students enrolled in the course ARTS2122 Performance Production, all of whom are non-Indigenous, were cast in Aboriginal roles and through this process were led in discussion on the everyday realities of Indigenous lives living with the impacts of colonisation in Australia at that time.
I hope you enjoy this highly anticipated audio presentation of Louis Nowra’s Crow.
Liza-Mare Syron
Director
UNSW Indigenous Scientia Fellow
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Sounds and references to domestic violence, warfare and bombings. This play contains language that may be distressing to Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander listeners.
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Bonnie Vance // Ruth
Grey Batson // Boofhead
Isobel Spies // Mrs Gavin, Hugh Thompson
Izzy Sergi // Crow
Mark Mitchell // Governor Morrison, Lieutenant Cole
Meg Mumford // Introductions
Melinda Knight // Tommy, Lane
Monica Liengphrapaipun // Jimmy Cho
Paul Matthews // Mr Wright, Vince
Liza-Mare Syron // Director
Meg Mumford // Course Convenor
Phill Downing // Sound Artist
Mark Mitchell // CPL Production Manager
Paul Matthews // CPL Designer
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Dr Liza-Mare Syron has family ties to the Biripi people from the Mid North Coast of NSW. A theatre maker and academic, Liza-Mare is currently an Indigenous Scientia Senior Lecturer in the School of Arts and Media at UNSW. She is widely published in the field of Indigenous performing arts and has recently published a book on the Rehearsal Practices of Indigenous Women Theatre Makers: Australia, Aotearoa, and Turtle Island (Palgrave Macmillan 2021).
She is a founding member of Moogahlin Performing Arts, and as a key member of the company’s Co-Artistic Directorate for over ten years has recently been appointed Senior Artistic Associate. As a theatre maker Liza-Mare's directorial roles include, The Fox and the Freedom Fighters (Performance Space 2014), Broken Glass (Blacktown Arts/Sydney Festival/Moogahlin 2018), The Weekend (Sydney Festival/Moogahlin 2019), Rainbows End (Darlinghurst Theatre /Moogahlin), and Gods Country (NIDA). In the role of producer Liza-Mare has presented Koori Gras a celebration of Black queer performance (Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras/Moogahlin 2017-2020), The Visitors (Sydney Festival/Moogahlin 2020), and manuwi jam ya murong (MCA/Moogahlin 2017). Liza-Mare also works as a dramaturge and lectures on First Peoples theatre practices at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts NIDA.
Phil has been performing and recording music for over 20 years. With extensive experience in the live music environment in Australia, Phil was first engaged to produce soundtracks for theatre due to his experimentation with original musical inventions. A winding path of experimentation has led to a vast catalogue of successful collaborations, using conventional and invented means of musical creation. From composition using Pro-Tools, Logic, Reason and any computer based music creation tools available, to creating sounds from found objects or manipulation of surroundings and the natural environment. Phil has consistently forged a unique path in musical expression. Personal highlights include The Nargun and the Stars (Erth Visual & Physical 2009), Posts in the Paddock (My Darling Patricia - 2011), Murder (Erth Visual & Physical 2013).
Bonnie is studying Arts/Science, majoring in Theatre & Performance at UNSW. She has performed with NUTS, the university theatre society, appearing in their 2021 production of Rossums Universal Robots. Previously, she performed in a number of musicals, including her secondary school’s production of High School Musical and OTC’s The Pirates of Penzance. This is her first venture into voice acting.
Grey is a third-year Software Engineering student, who once dreamed of performing in musicals. However, after a bad audition, and coming to the realisation that memorising lines is in fact rather difficult, he instead switched focus to being in the backstage crew. Four years and three stage-management gigs later, he enrolled in ARTS2122 with the hope of learning stage management from a technical perspective, rather than just making it up as he went. He’s looking forward to using his experience as a radio producer and presenter to contribute to the production and voice acting of Crow.
Isobel is a third-year student studying Arts majoring in Theatre & Performance Studies, and Politics and International Relations. She has been involved in Law and Med Revue at the University as a performer and in the design team. Isobel was involved in the NUTS play Whose play is it anyway? as set designer and will be assistant costume designer on the upcoming production of Arsenic and Old Lace. In 2021 she narrated The Cailleach for the UNSWeetened Mythos literary journal. This is Isobel’s first experience with voice acting and she is excited to share this work with you.
Isabella is a second-year student with a passion for the performing arts, studying a double degree of Arts and Education. Isabella lived and worked in the Middle East as a child actor and model, her work extended to television commercials, short films, professional productions and cinematic film such as Mission Impossible 4. Upon arriving back in Australia, Isabella completed her HSC at a performing arts school which furthered her interest and passion for the arts and education. She has been in many stage musicals, dance festivals and theatrical experiences, although this is her first time working on a radio play. Her debut radio production is as the titular character Crow, and she is excited to have been apart of this new medium and experience.
Marks previous onstage performance was a non-speaking role in a year 10 production of Catch 22. He is now heard and not seen in Crow.
Melinda is an aspiring psychologist with an interest in the dramatic arts. First acting on stage when she was 7, she has since developed a deep love of performance. Melinda has acted in several productions in junior and senior school, including Grease, This Fine Line, and Scotty and the Wheelie. Her favourite roles to date include the Chief in Get Smart, and Arista in The Little Mermaid. Crow is Melinda’s first time being involved in an off-stage production, gaining experience in voice acting, foley and sound design. Throughout the process she has enjoyed working behind the scenes, as well as behind the microphone, and is excited to share the final product with you.
Monica is a second-year Science and Arts student at UNSW. She has been interested in theatre and performance since high school. However, she did not have a chance to explore this until starting university in 2021. She is gaining more experience by being part of the voice acting and foley team in this radio production, and it has been an amazing experience for her.
A multi-disciplinary designer, Paul's practice crosses live performance, installation and graphics. As resident production and graphic designer with the UNSW Creative Practice Lab, Paul didn't know how to design for radio so is performing instead. At UNSW, and as a freelance artist, he collaborates with artists and students across diverse contexts including dance, theatre and performance, and installation.
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Produced in the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab, School of the Arts & Media
UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture on SoundCloud.
