The Black Woman Of Gippsland

Date

Mon 5 - Sat 31 May

Venue

The Sumner

Southbank Theatre

140 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank VIC 3006

A gripping modern mystery from Victoria’s dark past, written and directed by Andrea James and set on her grandmother’s Country.

Theatre

World Premiere

Image by Jo Duck

From Andrea James ('Sunshine Super Girl') comes The Black Woman of Gippsland; a story of Victoria’s dark past that is in dire need of revisiting, told as a thrilling modern mystery that unfolds with beauty, tragedy and rebellion.

A woman is tossed ashore from the sea, bedraggled and lost. A century and a half later, another finds herself diving deep into the truth behind a lingering legend.

Jacinta’s family is driving her up the wall and her academic career is floundering, but amongst the books, something doesn’t feel right about the story history tells. The myths and half-truths that surround the figure of a ‘white woman’ said to have lived among the Gunaikurnai people of Gippsland in the 1840s are so abundant it seems the reality is out of reach. But Jacinta is determined to unearth the truth for herself and her Gunaikurnai family no matter the twists and turns the journey might take her on.

Based on real events and set on Andrea’s grandmother’s Country, The Black Woman of Gippsland is a poetic, emotionally rich and clever embracing of First Nations stories that have long been silenced.

Performance Details

Venue

The Sumner

Southbank Theatre

140 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank VIC 3006

Dates & Times

Mon 5 May 7:30pm Tue 6 May 7:30pm Wed 7 May 7:30pm (Community Night) Thu 8 May 7:30pm Sat 10 May 7:30pm Mon 12 May 6:30pm Tue 13 May 6:30pm Wed 14 May 2pm, 7:30pm Thu 15 May 7:30pm Fri 16 May 7:30pm Sat 17 May 2pm, 7:30pm Mon 19 May 6:30pm Tue 20 May 6:30pm Wed 21 May 2pm, 7:30pm Thu 22 May 7:30pm Fri 23 May 7:30pm Sat 24 May 2pm, 7:30pm Mon 26 May 6:30pm Tue 27 May 6:30pm Wed 28 May 2pm, 7:30pm Thu 29 May 7:30pm Fri 30 May 7:30pm Sat 31 May 2pm, 7:30pm Audio Described by Vision Australia Sat 17 May 2pm Tue 20 May 6:30pm Tactile Tour Sat 17 May 2pm (arrival 1pm) Open Captioning via screen & Closed Captioning via GoTheatrical App (BYO device) Sat 24 May 2pm

Tickets

BlakTix $29 Under 30 $46 Student & Pensioner $79 Senior & Full $93 First Nations Community Night - $5 tickets Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community are invited to book $5 tickets to the The Black Woman of Gippsland Community Night on Wed 7 May at 7:30pm. Book with the promo code MOB or via link: https://tickets.mtc.com.au/promo?sourceNumber=72206 T&Cs: Max 4 per person; No booking fees apply to $5 Community Offer; Standard booking fees apply to Blaktix and all other ticket sales; all offers subject to availability. TICKETING AND ACCESSIBILITY ENQUIRIES Venue Phone: (03) 8688 0800 Venue Email: mtcticketing@mtc.com.au

Chenoa Deemal on The Black Woman of Gippsland

Jacinta

Chenoa Deemal (she/her), Thiithaarr Warra (Guugu Yimithirr)/Kaanju/Ayapathu

Aunty Rochelle

Ursula Yovich (she/her), Burarra

Set & Costume Designer

Romanie Harper (she/her)

Lighting Designer

Verity Hampson (she/her)

Composer & Sound Designer

James Henry (he/him), Yorta Yorta/Yuwaalaraay

Imagery

Jo Duck

Andrea James Andrea is a Yorta Yorta/Gunaikurnai theatremaker and VCA graduate. She is currently the Associate Artistic Director at Griffin Theatre Company. Andrea served as Artistic Director of Melbourne Workers Theatre (2001-2008), where she is best known for her play Yanagai! Yanagai!. Other notable works include Winyanboga Yurringa, Big Name No Blankets (with Anyupa Butcher and Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher) and Sunshine Super Girl. In 2025 she will direct her newest play The Black Woman of Gippsland at Melbourne Theatre Company.