In 1868, 13 young Aboriginal men from Victoria’s Western Districts led by Jardwadjali man and gifted all-rounder Unaarrimin, AKA Johnny Mullagh, became the first Australian cricket team to tour England.
Together they represented a nation in waiting that wouldn’t recognise their rights – or even their humanity – for another century.
Written by Geoffrey Atherden (Mother and Son) and Sydney Festival Artistic Director Wesley Enoch (Black Diggers), Black Cockatoo begins in the present day with a group of young activists breaking into a museum to expose the truth of what happened to Johnny and his mates. A story of triumph and tragedy unfolds, one that spans the dusty paddocks of Australia to the immaculate greensward of the home of cricket – Lord’s.
Directed by Enoch and starring Luke Carroll, Joseph Althouse, Chenoa Deemal, Aaron McGrath and Dubs Yunupingu, Black Cockatoo is more than a play about sport – it is a story of resilience, resistance and inspiration.
