Sydney Theatre Company - Wharf Theatres

Many productions that examine colonisation share stories that highlight its impact on a systemic level: the institutionalised violence, the collective suffering of mobs and the disintegration of culture. Declan Greene and Amy Sole’s Whitefella Yella Tree break from this to explore the consequences of colonisation in the microcosm of romance. This unique exploration of adolescents at the precipice of adulthood delves into the disruption and havoc colonisation had in their day-to-day lives. By focusing on the personal narratives during colonisation, the production artfully cultivates compassion through relatability. Indigenous people are shown not as a monolithic group defined solely by hurt, but as varied individuals falling in love, growing up and living with the ordinary complexities of life. But these complexities become more fraught under the pervasive presence of colonialists. What’s the premise of Whitefella Yella Tree? This two-hander production begins with the meeting of Ty (Joseph Althouse) of the River Mob with Neddy (Danny Howard) of the Mountain Mob. As cheeky and rowdy as any young adolescent boys would be, both young men meet every moon to exchange information about the strange white people who now live on their land. But it’s not just information being exchanged; it’s shy glances, cheeky jokes and young love all while the greatest existential threat unfolds before them. Ty and Neddy, while in training as a storyteller and a warrior for the mob respectively,...