Do we need a National Indigenous Theatre?

The new conversation about a National Australian Theatre has a feeling of deja vu for Indigenous performers who have long discussed a National Indigenous Theatre. But with more than 200 language groups and cultures, how would it work?

Image: Yirra Yaakin celebrates 21 years as WA’s leading Aboriginal performing arts company with the exhibition Ialaru: A Celebration at the Western Australian Museum, Perth.

The publication last week of Julian Meyrick’s the Retreat of National Drama, has once more put the idea of a national Australian theatre company on centre stage. Meyrick’s vision is prompted by his analysis of repertoire which shows that our main stage companies still shy away from new Australian work and rarely revive the work of Australian playwrights

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts