Edward’s bag of fruit by Adam Cullen. Image: Courtesy of the Estate of Adam Cullen and Michael Reid Art Gallery
In 1880, within the cold stony walls of Old Melbourne Gaol, Ned Kelly spoke his famous last words: “Such is life.”
Now, within the walls of Sandhurst Gaol, Ned Kelly will be brought back. On the stage of the new Ulumbarra theatre in Bendigo – which is built within the walls of the old prison – Australia’s favourite outlaw will be resurrected.
At the end of May, the regional centre will be the home of NED: A New Australian Musical.
It’s a story we’re familiar with. Ned Kelly was an ordinary boy, born to an Irish immigrant family living in poverty in country Victoria. He sees his mother slaving to keep his family together and his father beaten down by police. And when his father dies, Ned must become the man of the house at the age of 12. By the time he is 21 years old he is a notorious highwayman and bushranger.
The clouded details of the rest of his life have been told many times; on page, stage and screen. But according to the composer of NED, Adam Lyon, this is not a reinterpretation of someone else’s telling, it’s a new view. The musical focuses on characters in the story that are often not looked at closely, especially the women in Ned’s life.
‘They were all ridiculously intriguing people, everyone has such beautiful depth and colour. You couldn’t write them,’ said Lyon.
This is not a quiet historic reflection, but a riotous journey into a formative time in Australia’s past.
‘It’s a large scale musical,’ said Lyon. ‘The story is just so epic, they were all dead by 25. These are not the actions of a small person and a small story.’
And a big story requires big music. The story of Ned is one particularly well told through music. ‘The times were hard, the people were hard and the land was enormous,’ he said. ‘We’re letting the music carry the scope of the story.’ But to give the right flavour and atmosphere to the piece, it can’t just be a traditional musical score. It has to incorporate music of the time: alongside the swelling strings and soaring vocals is the tinkling of folky ukuleles and mandolins.
‘It feels very Australian,’ said Lyon. ‘When I think of Aussie music, the truth is I think of Jimmy Barnes, I think of pub music. And the Irish influence fits in so well with that.’
Bringing such a large scale artistic project to Bendigo appealed greatly to Lyon, who was born and raised there. He was delighted that the cast of NED features 10 locals, including the actor playing Kelly himself. It is also the first big production for the brand new 1,000 seat theatre, whose name, ‘Ulumbarra’, means ‘gather together’ or ‘meeting place’ in the language of the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
The Bendigo Art Gallery is getting into the Ned Kelly spirit, too. They have just launched Imagining Ned – an exhibition exploring the history of artists who have been captured by Kelly’s story – which will run alongside the musical. The exhibition explores the history through original artefacts, such as Kelly’s famous armour, letters, weaponry and even his death mask. It will also look at who Ned Kelly has become through the eyes of artists.
Tansy Curtin, one of the senior curators at Bendigo Art Gallery, said they wanted to focus on where that story has come from and where it’s going to today.
‘Irrespective of what you think of Ned Kelly himself, the story has been such an inspiration for artists over the last 130 years,’ she said. The exhibition includes classic work from the likes of Sidney Nolan, through to more contemporary artists who continue to be fascinated by Ned Kelly. Curtin believes artists are often drawn to Kelly because his story is one of an outsider.
‘Ned Kelly represented the ‘other’ at that time in Australian culture. Artists often associate with this notion of a person who sits outside the social norms and everyday society,” she said. And despite being a outlaw with very little education, Ned Kelly had a purpose, something which Curtin believes has led to Australia’s fascination with his story.
‘He didn’t have a lot of education, but he had these incredible ideas. He transcended his upbringing to try and overthrow the British oppressor.’
Adam Lyon believes that a lot of Australians identify with Kelly: the underdog, the fighter, the guy who fought on regardless of the consequences.
‘Somewhere in the core of the Australian identity, Ned Kelly is there in all of us, for better or worse,’ he said.
Whether you think him a hero or a villain, Ned Kelly has undeniably played a big part in shaping Australia’s identity, and continues to do so. And for a short time you can be taken back to an important and vibrant time in our history, only a few hours from Melbourne.
‘NED: A New Australian Musical’ will be showing from 22-31 May. ‘Imagining Ned’ runs from 28 March-28 June.
