Dear Brother, a co-production between Blak Dance and Queensland Theatre, has made its world premiere to a standing ovation as part of Brisbane Festival. Co-written by Lenny Donahue and Tibian Wyles, Dear Brother is directed by Isaac Drandic, who has recently been appointed Head of First Nations Theatre from his former position as Associate Artistic Director (First Nations) at Queensland Theatre.
Dear Brother focuses on three young Murri men who move to Brisbane to attend a performing arts school. Jazz (Benjin Maza) leaves behind a promising career with the Taipans basketball team that his dad has worked to build for him, to study music. Ezra (Lenny Donahue) studies dance, bidding farewell to his grandfather in the far north and worrying about staying connected to his young son, who has moved away. Destyn (Tibian Wyles) writes letters to an older brother he remembers from a childhood and sees in his dreams. All three men face difficulty with themselves, with family, and with their dreams of becoming artists. Together, they find brotherhood, support each other, and are proud of each other.
Dear Brother depicts the characters’ struggles with masculinity as young Aboriginal men, the conflicting messages that they receive on how to be a man, and the importance of strong male role models and mentorship in their lives.
This theatrical work evolved from the dance group eXcelsior and has been in development for several years. It is highly physical, and in the 350-seat Bille Brown Theatre, the performers’ breathing could be heard from the audience.
Co-writers Lenny Donahue and Tibian Wyles perform the roles of Ezra and Destyn, and Benjin Maza is a triple threat in the role of Jazz. Kelton Pell plays all of the older male roles, including Jazz’s Dad and Ezra’s Grandad, and is also credited as Uncle Max, although that character wasn’t clearly named in the piece.
Drandic’s direction maintains a triad formation onstage, centring the man whose story is in focus, and choreography by Waangenga Blanco incorporates contemporary and cultural dance with influences from hip hop and Michael Jackson. Lenny Donahue, Benjin Maza, and Tibian Wyles also contributed to the choreography.
Set design by Kevin O’Brien featured large poles that suggested both rainforest landscape and cityscape. A sloping stage area leading towards a doorway served as the main entry and exit point for the performers and tied to the play’s themes of crossing thresholds. Vibrant lighting design by David Walters and sound design by Brendon Boney, realised by Wil Hughes, brought together the mythical and the modern. Costume design by Delvene Cockatoo-Collins added to each man’s character and tied them to their history and each other with shimmering copper details even on their modern streetwear.
Dear Brother is a heartfelt debut that leads with dance and tells a story about growing up, finding connection, and what it means to be, and become, a man.
Dear Brother will be performed in the Bille Brown Theatre, South Brisbane, from 7 – 28 September 2024
For further information, visit the Queensland Theatre website
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