Rising star Meyne Wyatt, who portrays lead character Breythe in City of Gold, came onto the acting scene in Silent Disco (2011), now he returns as a playwright in his debut play which is unflinchingly honest as is his stage presence. It's hard to tell where the character ends and the creator begins.
Young Aboriginal actor Breythe left his small town home in Kalgoorlie hoping to start a big career, but when he finds himself in a distasteful Australia Day commercial he feels the full weight of his people and the need to protect their image and culture. If unsuccessful he would be roasted by his own mob, especially after his director requests he darken up his skin and type cast him as a tracker, drinker and thief. After a messenger bird brings Breythe the tragic news of his Father’s passing, he returns to his hometown where his troubled brother Mateo and activist sister Carina live and together they struggle with the grief and responsibilities that come with their Father’s death.
City of Gold opens with Breythe in something of a traditional Aboriginal garb and in body paint holding a spear and pulling a canoe. Breythe begins a tribal dance before we hear “cut” and the director comes on stage to give some advice on how to make it more “Aboriginal” by putting him in “black face” and turning the caricature up to 11. Breythe is disgusted by the depiction and eventually decides he can’t portray his people this way as he will be lynched by them if it ever goes to air. At the end of the scene we are first introduced to the willy wagtail, a messenger bird, which is somewhat a startling character in that it is played by a forty something year old man dressed in normal clothes but with some long feathers protruding from his behind as he hops about on stage to comedic effect except that in Aboriginal culture the Willie Wagtail is regarded as the bearer of bad news.
He makes himself present twice in the play, this first time signals the death of Breythe’s father, the second time would be a big spoiler for me to mention. Breythe makes his way home to Kalgoorlie and we are then introduced to his family. His sister Carina, fiercely played by Shari Sebbens, is introduced during the aftermath of a peaceful protest that has turned violent by the police and is seen as strong willed and compassionate as she pleads with the public to understand the Aboriginals right to equality and to be heard. Sebbens portrays Carina as a strong willed and outspoken matriarch that is also emotionally vulnerable and deeply caring for her family and people. The oldest and deeply troubled older brother Mateo is played by Matthew Cooper. Cooper conveys an emotionally wounded individual with substance abuse issues and someone with little going for them, emotionally hardened by the way he and his family have been treated over their lives, however, in his ferocity is a vulnerability that allows the audience to find compassion within his frail angst.
The first half of the play felt a little slow to get moving but once it did it was thoroughly engaging with a deeply moving message with interesting characters that had appealing backstories that you wanted to get to know. The second half of the play was far shorter and much faster, beginning with an almost slam poetry introduction by Breythe where he breaks the fourth wall and spits pure anger and resentment about the way he has grown up, the different versions of racism he has had to deal with in his real life and the way Aboriginals are forever portrayed or the way black actors are torn to shreds if they open their mouth on the topics of racism against them. To paraphrase Breythe’s monologue he cries “Look at Will Smith, or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for your white washed version of black culture that are only loved so long as they play the white game and keep their mouths shut on any remotely topical issues”. He makes amazing points and the first scene of the second half would make a great Ted Talk. The whole performance, however, is an incredibly wordy performance with hefty monologues that I did notice almost every actor slip up with their line delivery, stumbling through some of the meatier monologues and whilst I am willing to put it down to opening night jitters, it was distracting and very noticeable.
City of Gold is a grim tale of the reality of racism that countless races have to live with on a day to day basis and the striking reality that there is still so much injustice still prevalent towards Aboriginals in today’s society is deeply disturbing and upsetting. It is so vital that plays like City of Gold are being produced to keep the conversation of racism and injustices against the Aboriginal people going. Meyne Wyatt has written a beautifully powerful piece of theatre, and if anyone in the production is reading this, please give the audience some time between the final scene and the lights up because I needed more time to process, however the startling lights did save my handkerchief from some serious blubbering.
29 June - 20 July
Billie Brown Theatre, Queensland Theatre
Thomas Harrison