jack charles v the crown

AUSTRALIA
ILBIJERRI Theatre Company
JACK CHARLES
V THE CROWN
Written by Jack Charles and John Romeril
Directed by Rachael Maza
Performed by Jack Charles
STUDIO UNDERGROUND
Wednesday 15–Thursday 23 February
ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 February
This performance is 1 hour and 15 minutes with no interval
Supported by
Indigenous Program Partner
10FEBRUARY–3 MARCH

ILBIJERRI Theatre Company
JACK CHARLES V THE CROWN
By Jack Charles and John Romeril
Director Rachael Maza
Dramaturg John Romeril
Script Consultant Melanie Beddie
Set and Costume Designer Emily Barrie
Lighting Designer Danny Pettingill
Musical Director Nigel Maclean
Audio Visual Designer Peter Worland
Production Manager Blair Hart
Stage Manager Bianca Eden
With Jack Charles
Guitar and Violin Nigel Maclean
Percussion Phil Collings
Bass Mal Beveridge
Bastardy footage courtesy of Film Camp, Amiel Courtin-Wilson,
Ghost, Film Victoria and Filmfest Ltd.
We would like to show our respect and acknowledge the Traditional
owners of the land we gather on today: the Noongar People. We pay
respect to their Ancestors and Elders and to any Elders that may be
with us here today.
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Having grown up in theatre, I have known Uncle Jack for most of my
life, and have long admired his work. It seems therefore most fitting that
I should work with him now, all these years later. His is the generation
that started Black Theatre in this country, paving the way for those of
my generation to follow (Uncle Jack, along with my father Bob Maza,
established Australia’s first Aboriginal Theatre Company, Nindethana, in
Melbourne in 1972).
It is through theatre that I have learnt the true history of this country,
history that was never taught in the school books. It is this early theatre
that inspired who I am today, inspiring in me the passion to continue to
tell the stories that need to be told.
One of my earliest memories in the theatre was at the Sydney Opera
House: a scene in which two fully clad early 19th-century soldiers
entered, carrying between them a fully naked ‘Bennelong’ (a young
Jack Charles) to centre downstage, his feet dangling above the floor …
After seeing the phenomenal documentary Bastardy, I was inspired to
bring Jack’s story to the stage, knowing what a brilliant actor he was.
The opportunity arose to get him in for a script reading (I was aware he
was getting on in years and it seemed wise to see how he was fairing).
He was incredible! Every word danced off the page with those deep rich
resonant melodic tones – as if he had created the words himself, in that
moment. A master of the spoken word. My decision to pursue this story
was set in stone in that moment.
Jack’s story is not dissimilar to many other Aboriginal people who were
victims of past government policies. He was stolen from his family at
three months and placed in a boys’ home, where he would endure years
of abuse. He then spent the majority of his adult years doing ‘burgs’ and
‘doing time’ to feed his addiction. There is no doubt in my mind that all
of this got in the way of what would have been a truly brilliant career on
stage and screen.
Melbourne-born and bred, a true gentleman, generous in spirit, warm of
heart, sharp of wit … Jack Charles is a true Elder!
It is such a great honour and privilege to work so closely and intimately
with one of Australia’s great living legends. A special thanks to Uncle
Jack for his incredible generosity in sharing his story.
Rachael Maza
ILBIJERRI is assisted by the Australian Government through the
Australia Council (arts funding advisory body); Arts Victoria; City of
Melbourne and by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet,
Office for the Arts, Indigenous Culture Support.

JACK CHARLES
Co-writer and Performer
Born in 1943, Jack Charles was well and truly a child of the Stolen
Generation. He spent many of his formative years in the boys’ homes
of Melbourne, which he took on with his usual laconic outlook: ‘It
was alright by me – I was happy to assimilate. The only trouble was I
wasn’t ever going to fit in. I’m fucking brown mate.’ In 1972 he founded
the first Aboriginal theatre company Nindethana and has performed
with the cream of Australia’s actors, directors and writers including
Geoffrey Rush, Neil Armfield, John Romeril and Tracey Moffatt. His
work has spanned feature films, TV series and hundreds of plays
including The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Bedevil, Ben Hall and The
Marriage of Figaro. Most recently, he was the subject of Amiel Courtin-
Wilson’s award-winning documentary Bastardy, and was awarded the
prestigious Tudawali Award at the Message Sticks Festival in 2009,
honouring his lifetime contribution to Indigenous media.
JOHN ROMERIL
Co-writer and Dramaturg
Over a 40-year career as a dramatist, John Romeril has produced
nearly 80 works for stage, film and television, including satirical, musical
and humorous drama. He was a founding member of the Australian
Performing Group at the Pram Factory during the 1970s, writing nearly
40 plays for them, including the greatly acclaimed The Floating World,
which earned him the Literature Board’s inaugural Canada-Australia
Award in 1975. His other works include: Marvellous Melbourne, The
Dudders, The Accidental Poke, History of Australia: The Musical, Jonah,
Legends and The Kelly Dance. Recent works include: One Night the
AustrAliAn
creative
energy
Woodside is proud to support
the Indigenous Program of the
Perth International Arts Festival,
giving audiences a chance to
experience the unique artistry
of indigenous performers.
This sponsorship reflects Woodside’s
desire to build vibrant thriving,
creative Australian communities in
which we work and live.
www.woodside.com.au
Moon (script for film), Miss Tanaka and Love Suicides (stage plays), and
Chopped Liver and Body Armour (dramaturg).
RACHAEL MAZA
Director
Rachael is the Artistic Director of Ilbijerri Theatre Company. She
is well known as a television presenter on SBS’s ICAM and ABC’s
Message Stick, and for her stunning performances in Radiance and The
Sapphires. Most recently, in her role at Ilbijerri Theatre Company, she
has directed Jacky Jacky in the Box, A Black Sheep Walks into a Baa ...
and Black Sheep: Glorious Bastards and Chopped Liver. She performs
regularly with her sister Lisa in the duo ‘The Maza Sisters’, and together
they wrote and performed in the highly successful theatre production
Sisters of Gelam.
ILBIJERRI THEATRE
Ilbijerri (pronounced ‘il BIDGE erree’) is a Woiwurrung word meaning
Coming Together for Ceremony. Ilbijerri Theatre Company is the longest
existing Indigenous theatre company in Australia and the only one in
Victoria. In 1990 a group of Melbourne Indigenous artists and community
members came together to form a professional theatre company for
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Victoria. Since then
they have been initiating and developing performances in collaboration
with their community and artists. The company’s plays explore a range of
complex and controversial issues from a uniquely Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander perspective.
Artistic Director Rachael Maza
General Manager Brad Spolding
Finance Manager Jon Hawkes
Community Program Manager Lisa Parris
Program Producer Shalini Nair
Board of Directors: Gavin Somers (President), Angela Clarke
(Vice President), Aunty Frances Bond (Treasurer), Rosie
Smith (secretary), Greg Fryer (Director) and Jane Harrison (Director)
STATE THEATRE CENTRE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
General Manager Brendon Ellmer
Deputy General Manager Alice Jorgensen
Technical Manager Graham Piper
Operations Manager Lorraine Rice
State Theatre Centre of Western Australia is managed by AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty
Ltd, Venue Manager for the Perth Theatre Trust Venues.
ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
General Manager Garry Snowdon
Assistant General Manager Gillian Woods
Technical Manager John Metzke
Administration & Accounts Administrator Lauriza Hillier
Marketing Co-ordinator Karen Lloyd
Maintenance Officer Kevin Blyth
Food & Beverage Operations Manager Craig Pullin
Head Chef Wolfgang Frankl
The Albany Entertainment Centre is managed by AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty Ltd,
Venue Manager for the Perth Theatre Trust Venues.
AEG OGDEN (PERTH) PTY LTD
Chief Executive Rodney M Phillips
THE PERTH THEATRE TRUST
Chairman Dr Saliba Sassine

FOUNDER PARTNERS
LEADERSHIP PARTNERS
MAJOR PARTNERS
PUBLIC FUNDING PARTNERS
TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS
For information on corporate sponsorship of the Festival, please contact Development Manager: Fiona Gebauer fgebauer@perthfestival.com.au or 6488 8628
FESTIVAL CIRCLE DONORS
Jackie and Bernard Barnwell
Dr Sue Boyd
Maddy Broekhuysen
Michael Chaney
Dr David Cooke
Joanne Cruickshank
Marco D’Orsogna
Julanne and David Griffiths
Ole and Gerie Hansen
Jim and Freda Irenic
Janet King
Stephen Kobelke
Peter Mallabone
Gaye and John McMath
Judith Rivalland
Margaret and Roger Seares
Fiona Stanley
Gene Tilbrook
Nigel and Bonney Tulloch
Tim and Chris Ungar
Diana Warnock
Margaret Whitter
Michael Wise
Wendy Wise and Nick Mayman
Anonymous Donors
PREMIER PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNER
MEDICI DONORS
Zelinda Bafile
Matthew J.C. Blampey
Deb Brady and Stephen Boyle
Brans Antiques and Art
Adil Bux and Andrea Horwood-Bux
Mike & Liz Carrick
In memory of Dr. Stella Barratt-Pugh
Henry and Deborah Cooke
Neil Archibald and Alan Dodge AM
Grant and Cathy Donaldson
Marco D’Orsogna
Adrian and Michela Fini
Paul and Susanne Finn
Annie and Brett Fogarty
Alison Gaines and Greg Smith
Derek Gascoine and Dale Harper
Griffiths Architects
Mack and Evelyn Hall
Sue and Peter Harley
Kerry Harmanis
Richard and Nina Harris
Janet Holmes à Court AC
Jonathan and Tracey Horton
Maxine Howell-Price
This event powered by
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
Adshel
Albany Advertiser
Albany Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Albany Port Authority
Avant Card
Barnesby Ford Chrysler Jeep
Community Newspaper Group
Drum Media Perth
Duxton Hotel
Greenhouse St Georges Terrace
Green Man Media Productions
H+H Architects
INTERNATIONAL
PARTNER
Hanover Bay Apartments
Instant Toilets and Showers
Lincolns Accountants and Business Advisers
Market United
Must Winebar
Oranje Tractor Wines
PerthWeb
RTRFM 92.1
The Brisbane Hotel
The Terrace Hotel
URS
X-Press Magazine
Peter and Lynne Leonhardt
Michael and Sallie Manford
Murray and Suzanne McGill
Ian and Jayne Middlemas
Alan Miller Dental Practice
Michael Murphy and Craig Merrey
Helen and John Owenell
Richard Payne and Cim Sears
Joakim and Veronique Ramen
Bill Repard and Jane Prendiville
Sam and Dee Rogers
Terry Grose and Rosemary Sayer
Peter Smith and Alexandrea Thompson
Gary and Jacqueline Steinepreis
Craig Suttar
Peter and Jane Thompson, Thompson
Estate Vineyard
Andrew Umney
Tim and Chris Ungar
Emma Williamson & Kieran Wong
Melvin Yeo
Anonymous Donors
For information on supporting the Festival, please contact Development Executive: Private Giving: Claire Lenyk clenyk@perthfestival.com.au or 6488 8626