Press Release: Melbourne
Told through the letters from First Nations women during the First World War to their husbands and sons on the front lines, No More Sugar. No More Tea is written and directed by Richard J Frankland and can be seen at Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre from 26 – 30 April.
No More Sugar. No More Tea navigates a time of heightened assimilations policy and the establishment of missions, when First Nations people living under the Aborigines Protection Act were regarded as subhuman in law. When one woman, a mother, writes to the mission manager and the Aboriginal Welfare Board, we see that there is another war going on.
No More Sugar, No More Tea celebrates methods of resistance and resilience in the actions of these women. Through the performance, the audience can witness the contribution of First Australians to the First World War, which, up until recent times, have been largely ignored. No More Sugar. No More Tea shines a spotlight on the actions of the Aborigines Protection Board and their oppression of First Nations people through protocols, law and attitudes.
Written and directed by Richard J Frankland, with music by Richard J Frankland and Biddy Connor, No More Sugar, No More Tea presents a selection of songs from Act 3 of a larger work currently in development. These initial songs are based on the story of Richard’s grandfather and great-grandmother, as well as stories from other First Nations communities. These personal stories are a mix of fact and fiction, informed by real events and actual letters, becoming a vehicle via which this under-represented history can be told.
Richard J Frankland is one of Australia’s most experienced Indigenous singer / songwriters, authors and film makers. Born in Melbourne but raised mostly on the coast in south-west Victoria, Richard is a proud Gunditjmara man who has worked as a solder, fisherman and field officer during the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
He has written, directed and produced over 50 documentary and film projects including the award-winning No Way To Forget, After Mabo, Harry’s War and The Convincing Ground documentaries. His work with the Royal Commission led to his appearance as a presenter in the award-winning Australian documentary Who Killed Malcolm Smith?
He is also an acclaimed musician whose music features on the soundtrack to many films and in 1991, his first band, Djaambi, supported Prince on his Australian tour.
No More Sugar. No More Tea by Richard J Frankland
Presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy
26 to 30 April 2022
Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre
Tues – Fri: 8pm | Sat: 2pm and 8pm
$35 Full | $28 Conc. | $30 Darebin Residents | $15 Blak Tickets
Visit http://www.darebinarts.com.au/
Written and Directed by Richard Frankland
Music by Biddy Connor and Richard Frankland
Produced by Biddy Connor and Matt Delbridge
Associate Producer: Deb Craib
