Thomas Murray and the Upside Down River
Regional Australia is being put under the spotlight as stories from life in a drought-affected town are shared on stage.
The only world that farmer Tom Murray has ever known is along the Darling River, but when two childhood friends return, everything changes. Suddenly, buried secrets emerge and friendships are tested.
Thomas Murray and the Upside Down River is the latest play from Reg Cribb, the award-winning screenwriter behind Last Cab to Darwin and Bran Nue Dae. Cribb wrote the play after visiting farms along the Darling River and speaking with families about the challenges of living in drought-affected areas.
After a successful showing in Alice Springs, the production heads up the track to Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre (GYRACC) in Katherine.
GYRACC acting director Jayne Nankivell says the story of life in regional Australia will resonate with local crowds.
“I think people in Katherine relate to country-town stories,” she says.
“Even though the play is set in a farming community on the Darling River, we have a big pastoralist community here and we have those country-town families that are larger than life.
“I think those are the similarities people in Katherine will relate to.”
The thirst for stories from remote and rural Australia is growing and Nankivell says bringing plays like Thomas Murray through Katherine might inspire more people to share their tales from life in the Territory.
“Sometimes people just see these stories as a bit of every day life and question if that’s really worth writing down or putting in a play, but perhaps a play such as this might inspire people to say ‘I’ve got stories like that’ and take it that step further,” she says.
“There are certainly quite a lot of writers and many who write about our region.”
The play features familiar faces including Green Room Award winning performer Grant Cartwright (Barracuda) as Thomas and Black Comedy’s Bjorn Stewart.
SAT 7 APR | 8PM | GYRACC | $25 | $20 CONC | See event listing
