Bran Nu Dae (1991)
First Nations work is now the bedrock of the Sydney Festival, but it wasn’t always that way. It took the explosive arrival of Jimmy Chi’s Bran Nue Dae to change hearts and minds.
Premiering in Perth in 1990 and hitting Sydney in 1991 with a cast led by Ernie Dingo, this exuberant musical was a revelation. Chi and the band Kuckles wrapped razor-sharp commentary in irresistible melodies, from the upbeat defiance of Nothing I Would Rather Be to the aching Listen to the News.
Dispossession, land rights, the Stolen Generations and deaths in custody were folded into a show bursting with humour, hope and resilience. A sell-out success across two venues, Bran Nue Dae changed the landscape – and Sydney Festival – for good.
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