‘Billy’s Choice’ is written by Wamba Wamba man and WAAPA Aboriginal Performance graduate Brodie Murray and directed by Australian actress, narrator and director, Rachael Maza. Billy’s Choice sheds a light on how young people can feel when confronted with big decisions about their future. Something that Murray is familiar with having moved from his regional hometown to pursue his career in theatre.
Fresh off the success of Soul of Possum, a play commissioned for YIRRAMBOI in 2021 and supported by the Sidney Myer Fund and City of Melbourne, Murray is not slowing down. This work was written as part of the Yirra Yaarnz play reading series, with dramaturgy by acclaimed playwright Geoff Kelso and presented at Perth’s Blue Room Theatre in 2020. Murray is currently a Castlemaine State Festival Artist-In-Residence.
Billy’s Choice is set in Lockdown Victoria 2020 on Wamba Wamba country near present day Swan Hill and in inner city Melbourne, Eastern Kulin Nations. It explores the conflict that can arise as young people seek independence. Murray focuses on the cultural and political contexts of growing up in modern Indigenous Australia. It is a story about expectations, and the challenges of moving away from family and Country.
With the current Victorian lockdown preventing live performances at Melbourne Fringe this year, Billy’s Choice has been adapted for digital presentation by filmmaker, Davide Michielin. It will be performed by Corey Brunskill, Brodie Murray and Dion Williams.
“Other theatre makers could learn from this stripped back but powerful production… This play is a huge achievement for Brodie Murray, Declan Furber Gillick, their collaborators and the YIRRAMBOI and Castlemaine Festivals” Stage Whispers on Soul of Possum “Murray himself is, I think I was told, 20. What will he do next?” Stage Whispers on Soul of Possum
Dates: 7th to 17th October
Times: View On Demand (30 minutes)
Venue: Digital Fringe
Tickets: Flexible Pricing $15/$10/$5 Mobtix: Free
TO BOOK TICKETS visit melbournefringe.com.au or call (03) 9660 9666
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