Tom Molyneux is a Gunditjmara man & creative professional based in Geelong, Australia. He is an Actor | Director | Theatre-Maker | Diversity & Inclusion Professional | Arts Governance | Higher Education | Aboriginal Mental Health and a First Aid Instructor.
“I believe that stories bring us closer together. It’s a philosophy that I apply in both my management and creative practices. Greater understanding leads to greater harmony, and more compassionate communities”. Tom Molyneux.
Stardust + The Mission Family secrets are revealed in STARDUST + THE MISSION, a spellbinding two-part theatrical performance opening at Chapel Off Chapel from 17 February before a six-month national tour. Featuring two powerful yet forgotten true stories from Australia’s past, audiences will meet two ordinary individuals, whose extraordinary lives still reverberate to this day. Stardust is the award-winning story of Col Brain, one of the best jazz musicians of his generation. Thirty years after Col Brain passed away in 1988, his grandson opened his prized wooden dresser which had been tucked away in a garage, discovering a hidden time capsule of his grandfather’s music and memories. That grandson is the much-loved ABC presenter, musician and award-winning storymaker Joel Carnegie.
Stardust delves into the story of Col Brain’s life, from humble beginnings as an orphan, to the bright lights and promises of Sydney’s Trocadero Club, with the story also featuring unforgettably lyrical original music by Australian trumpeter/composer, Nadje Noordhuis.
After interval, acclaimed Gunditjmara actor Tom Molyneux shares the story of Allan McDonald, his great, great uncle and ‘Fighting Gunditjmara’ man from South West Victoria in THE MISSION. Uncle Allan was one of Australia’s first Aboriginal soldiers from Victoria to enlist for World War I. This captivating, rollicking, and at times confronting monologue traces the account of a soldier at war; at home and abroad. THE MISSION was a labour of love as well as a truth-telling exercise for Molyneux and was created in collaboration with other Gunditjmara community members and dramaturg James Jackson. It also features striking original music by Nadje Noordhuis.