Queen’s City is gonna steal your hearts like ya stole our land

For far too long Indigenous storytelling has been subject to the white filter, interfering in the authenticity of First Nations storytelling, but the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) festival ‘Clancestry’ is stripping this layer away.

‘Queen’s City’ is a production that’s more than a fictional love story about a place in time. It’s a change from how First Nations theatre is traditionally produced and dispersed in contemporary Australia.

It’s an ancestrally connected performance led by writer and director Alethea Beetson. Currently in creative development, this production will be part of Alethea’s Doctorate of Creative Industries studies well in the future and QPAC has given the creators reign over the length of time and space to allow the process to take place.

Alethea is a Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi and Wiradjuri woman is ‘100% behind QPACs push to give great voice to mob’. With her community at the centre and with full support from QPAC, she presented the first five scenes of Queen’s City at the festival, giving audiences a small taste of what’s to come.

“This production is about understanding the importance of time, consultation and most of all process when developing black art.. even though it’s fictional, it’s also loosely based on blackfellas in Brisbane in the 80s and for that I want to make sure we take as much care and consideration when developing this from start to finish” Alethea said.

In its fourth year running Clancestry was created to put Indigenous people on the main stage. It celebrates and promotes the richness and diversity of First Nations Peoples and honours the significant role these voices play in shaping the cultural landscape of Queensland.

As part of its commitment to First Nations arts they have included eight plays in development, giving space for Indigenous artists like Alethea to produce authentic First Nations gold.

Set in the 80s, at a karaoke loving skating rink, Queen’s City is unlike any other theatre I’ve encountered. It’s a love story that gives power to an almost all Indigenous cast. It empowers marginalised groups within minorities to tell their truth and deliver their story in their own way and in their own time.

It tells the tale of fighting for truth in the history books alongside a coming-of-age love story. Because alongside all the advocacy, protest and healing, us mob get to live a little, belt out karaoke and fall in love. With just the right amount of cheesiness and political prowess, the creatives of Queen’s City are gonna steal ya hearts like ya stole our land.

You will laugh, may cry and if you’re white you may feel a little uncomfortable with the truth bombs that are directly and indirectly peppered throughout the first five scenes. It’s okay though, actress Paula Delaney, who plays Truth, says “it’s those uncomfortable moments that make room for growth, especially for white people”.

It’s also a catalyst for change in the arts space as it is traditionally known, challenging how black stories are formed and told holistically. One of the messages that shine through is that Indigenous people are not these homogeneous, mythical creatures who need to be constantly portrayed as the victim or perpetrators. Instead we are diverse and like any other culture, we have evolved.

“The idea is that we put emphasis on the importance of the entire process… QPAC has given me the opportunity to fully develop a production alongside an almost all First Nations cast. It’s authentic, real and there’s input from a range of black voices,” said Alethea.

Clancestry 2019 is just the beginning though – Alethea is being supported by QPAC to tell this story over time, no matter how long it may take it takes. This masterpiece that will one day be part of an entire PHD.

“This production is about building a strong foundation for blackfellas to truly express themselves. It’s about giving respect to the people and process behind the stories that reflect our lives as First Nations people from an historical and contemporary perspective” 

If you want to see theatre that goes beyond presenting black fellas with the usual, stereotypical scenes of who we are as contemporary First Nations people then this is for you.

Paula plays the character Truth who like many Aboriginal women take on a matriarchal role. What we know so far is that she’s lived in Queen’s City her whole life and she’s a staunch black woman who loves a bit of karaoke.

Paula describes her as the “linch-pin that holds shit together”

“How this production ends up is anybody’s guess but the best thing about this is the process that underpins the making of it… this is black art made by black people and Queen’s City doesn’t for a second waver from the truth”. 

“We as First Nations people are best placed to tell our own truth because we live it every single day and QPAC have stepped back and allowed us to do this,” said Paula.

Alethea is determined to give this production her all. “The message I want people to take away from this is that blackfellas aren’t homogeneous… We each have our own experiences and we must provide space for our people to tell those stories from our own lenses… also I want people to laugh, this production is full of black humour and we all know black humour is the best”. 

Get on and like the Digi-Youth Facebook page to stay up to date on where this production will go in the future.

For more information about Clancestry or QPAC get on their Facebook and Twitter page. Dare I say that this will not be the last you will hear about the production Queen’s City.

The Cast

• Alethea Beetson – Writer and Director – Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi, Wiradjuri woman
• Tibean Wyles
• Hannah Bronte
• Paula Delaney

Watch this space!