“For 1500 points, can anyone tell me what ‘Imperial’ means?... What about Terra Nullius?”
Nancy Denis is descended from warriors. We are about 15 minutes into M’ap Boulé, this multidisciplinary artist and performer’s debut solo show, when she asks the crowd a series of questions, inviting us to revisit the meaning of the words that have shaped our history as she explores her own. Haiti, the country of her ancestors, was the first black republic. Imperialism, colonisation, Terra Nullius – these are words that people of colour around the world are familiar with. They are the frameworks that have enabled genocide, slavery, stealing and the stolen generations. They are the frameworks that tie the history of so-called Australia to the history of Haiti. Except our colonisers were never overthrown and sovereignty was never ceded.
Denis invites us into a space where she is free – and in the process, she gives us the permission to be free ourselves
In a dramatic, cabaret-style performance, Denis (STC’s Blithe Spirit and A Raisin in The Sun) weaves between readings, re-enactments, poetry and song to tell the stories that have shaped her life – how her father first told her about the Haitian revolution, the anger she carries for her ancestors, how she rejected her blackness at school, her experience of mania, and her journey to accepting herself.
From the moment the audience enters the Eternity Playhouse, they are introduced to her world. Incense, smoke and the sound of the polymba fill the room. A large sandstone structure peeks out from above a series of hanging sheets, one of which will later play projected videos. Candles scatter the stage, Denis asks those who can, to stand for the Haitian national anthem, and then she starts.
Four years in the making due largely to the pandemic, M’ap Boulé is a product of Denis’ residency at Urban Theatre Projects (UTP) in 2019 as part of the year-long Young Residents program. UTP is a Western Sydney based theatre company that is focused on exploring and giving the stage to those at the nexus of intersecting identities. For Denis it’s the nexus of her black, queer, Australian and Haitian identity, so naturally this collaboration feels like a perfect match.
Throughout the heavy subjects Denis explores, she has the audience in hysterics just as often as she has them pausing to think. In a musical interlude she makes a rhyme about genocide (gen-to-the-side, genocide) which is both witty and devastating. ’90s and ’00s pop-culture references litter her performance, the influence of musicals like Fame and songs like ‘I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts’ instigate chuckles from the audience.
Karen Norris’ lighting design and Anthea Williams’ direction (Belvoir’s HIR, Griffin Theatre Company’s Since Ali Died) bring these key sound-bites to life, spotlights turn them into poetic cues and coloured lighting patterns turn musical performances into concerts.
The lead up to Denis’ experience with mania is filled with enthralling surprises, and she builds camaraderie through audience participation. When we get there, she seamlessly walks the audience through the day as she remembers it, inferring much more than she says through repetitive re-enactments of her state of mind. This gradual shift in tone is masterful, but difficult to come back from. Everything after this point feels comparatively frivolous, as she jumps the audience to a suddenly upbeat song about love. But the cabaret genre allows it, even if it takes the audience a minute to process.
As a performer, Denis is commanding, informative, purposeful and captivating, with talent to back it up. Her vocal range, vibrato and musical sensibilities are on display in troves here – but it is the emotional connection to the songs that will stay with you after you leave the theatre. Developed with the late Carles St. Jacques (may he rest in power), these are personal songs, many of them empowering and filled with prayers of self-acceptance.
Musical director Victoria Falconer brings colour and life to the compositions and the storytelling, indicating to the audience when the tone is playful and when it’s serious. Her partnership with Denis is seamless, their connection palpable. Mick Stuart provides the rhythmic foundation, playing polymba and drums with Falconer on a range of instruments at the side of the stage. Emerging hip-hop artist Kween G raps verses on many of the ‘consciousness-raising’ tracks, acting as a conduit for the voice of the audience, asking questions and prompting Denis in an MC-fashion.
In M'ap Boulé, Denis invites us into a space where she is free – and in the process, she gives us the permission to be free ourselves. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, Denis wants you to know that you will be healed.
M'ap Boulé debuts at the Eternity Playhouse, Darlinghurst, from December 6 to 9, 2022. Standard tickets are $38, community tickets for First Nations people and People of Colour are availiable for $25. Get your tickets here.
