A classic one-woman cabaret show and staple of Australian theatre, Oh My God I'm Blak! is coming to Melbourne Recital Centre as part of YIRRAMBOI Festival on May 5 and 6.
Oh My God I’m Blak! was first commissioned by Melbourne Workers Theatre all the way back in 1995. The production’s intimate portrayal of a woman’s journey to discover her heritage has proved a timeless and successful example of First Nations-focused theatre.
Devised by Maryanne Sam, Patricia Cornelius and Irene Vela, Oh My God I’m Blak! is the story of Maryanne’s mother’s journey from the Torres Strait Islands to Melbourne, including the birth of Maryanne and her sister, their mother’s death, and Maryanne’s journey to reclaim her culture and heritage.
Oh My God I’m Blak!
- Friday 5 May, 7pm
- Saturday 6 May 2023 4pm and 7pm
- Melbourne Recital Centre’s Primrose Potter Salon
- Duration: 1 hour (no interval)
- Tickets: $25 ($20 Concession)
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After growing up in Melbourne, the play’s protagonist Menan embarks on a journey to discover her Torres Strait origins. She traces her mother’s Ailan life and discovers her culture through the songs her mother taught her as a child. These range from traditional Island songs about departure, love and belonging, to those she heard on the radio.
Sam is the co-founding member of Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Company, the visionaries behind fellow classics like Heart is a Wasteland – which drew rave reviews at Arts Centre Melbourne last year – and Jack Charles V The Crown.
Starring Taeg Twist as Menan and Gary Watling on guitar and ukulele, the production is taking place as part of YIRRAMBOI Festival, a mammoth program featuring 300 artists over 40 venues and 10 days that aims to showcase and encapsulate the diversity of First Nations creatives worldwide. It’s also part of Melbourne Recital Centre’s Season Two: Immersion program.
First Nations audiences can book complimentary tickets to this concert. Use the promo code FIRSTNATIONS when booking.
Oh My God I’m Blak! is performing at Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday 5 May at 7pm and Saturday 6 May for two performances, a matinee at 4pm and then again at 7pm. For tickets and more information, head here.
