Jurrungu Ngan-ga gives voice to the incarcerated and invites the audience to understand their stories.
Presented by: Adelaide Festival
Reviewed: 10th March, 2023
Jurrungu Ngan-ga is an emotionally raw production, mindfully created in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and taking inspiration from esteemed refugee authors. It addresses Australia’s preoccupation with incarcerating those we consider other. Jurrungu Ngan-ga gives voice to the incarcerated and invites the audience to understand their stories and emotions, including “sadness, anger, joy and resistance.”
Created by unique and groundbreaking production company Marrugeku, who work with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous performers to build a mindful new era of dance in Australia. Jurrungu Ngan-ga is the Yawuru concept of “straight” talking, a form of open and intimate communication. Developed in collaboration with Yawuru leader Patrick Dodson, who was one of the commissioners for the 1991 Australian Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
Designer Abdul-Rahman Abdullah has created a minimal set with metal mesh fences that divide the stage and, at times, the cast. It is simple, stark, and impactful. Composer Sam Serruys’s original score is emotive and overwhelming, utilising modern bass alongside traditional instruments and vocals.
The ensemble cast work together, drawing from their cultural backgrounds and experiences as artists to create a moving performance. Their talents and passionate dedication must be commended, along with director Rachael Swain and choreographer Dalisa Pigram.
Emmanuel James Brown’s opening routine, a captivating mix of traditional and modern dance, poignantly captures the sadness and fear of living in Australia today. Issa el Assaad’s soliloquy, directed to a surveillance camera atop the steel framed fence, breaks down preconceptions about refugees. Bhenji Ra advocates for minorities and the queer community with an empowered speech, igniting her fellow dancers (reminiscent of the “La Vie Bohème” sequence from Rent.) Luke Currie-Richardson performs excerpts from “This is Australia,” having danced in the original music video by rapper Beni Bjah and Marrugeku in 2022. The lyrics “This is Australia / Look how I’m killing ya / Locking your children up / Filling my prisons up” will follow you home after the performance.
Jurrungu Ngan-ga is truth speaking through modern dance. It offers an unforgettable and eye-opening experience for viewers regardless of their cultural background.
Reviewed by Nicola Woolford
Photo credit: Andrew Beveridge
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse
Season: Fri 10th – Sun 12th March, 2023
Duration: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Tickets: $25.00 – $69.00
Bookings: https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/events/jurrungu-ngan-ga/
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