A research project follows the process of developing an Aboriginal play from concept to production, at the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab.
Scientia Associate Professor Liza-Mare Syron has been working with industry partner Belvoir Street Theatre to re-imagine Cape Hawke, a play-script written in 1985 by her late uncle, Birripay theatre-maker and arts activist Brian Syron. The original play was discovered unfinished in family archives.
“Only a handful of scenes were completed, most featuring only headings or a few character names and lines as cues for further writing. However, the story is a powerful account of life in the regions, specifically Minimbah (Forster), during the colonial expansion years in the late 1800s. The play examines the impact of this time on one family’s lives,” Liza-Mare said.
A creative research project
The development of the series of scenes forms part of a larger creative research project and will take place at the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab from 2025 to 2026. So far, the project has facilitated a week-long intensive creative workshop with Indigenous creatives to help develop the revised script. There have also been developments with family members on country in Minimbah.
The project is being documented through a casebook that provides a detailed account of the writing and development process. The book is autobiographical and autoethnographic, bringing to light the complexities of the personal, professional and creative elements enmeshed in creating this story from an insider perspective.
“As a research methodology, storying emphasises the close connection between story and knowing, as well as the link between narrative and research within Indigenous frameworks. Storying can be understood as both a method and a meaning, presented as a culturally nuanced way of knowing,” Liza-Mare said.
UNSW connections
The play is set in Cape Hawke on the lands of the Worrimay and Birripay, where Liza-Mare is connected to the clans through her father’s kinship line.
“As I spread the word about the project, many staff members have already contacted me to share their connections to the area where the play is set, such as stories of growing up there or links to that country through family or kin. These stories help build a sense of knowledge about the place and the communities where the play's characters live and work,” she said.
Creative collaboration
Indigenous creatives Dalara Williams (Wiradjuri/Gumbaynggirr), Abbie-lee Lewis (Kalkadoon), Bee Cruse (Biripi/Wiradjuri/Yuin/Native American), Amy Sole (Wiradjuri/Worimi) and Director Ruby Williams (Yimen/Darumbal) have all contributed to the project.
Dalara Williams and Bee Cruse contribute to the creative development of Cape Hawke during the one-week intenstive. Image: Clare Britton.
“Highlights so far include securing industry partner Belvoir Street Theatre to assist with casting and contracting professional creatives. Belvoir has a long association of supporting new Indigenous works. Having Indigenous theatre-makers working at the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab is a real buzz because of the uniqueness of creating in a space named after an Indigenous artist. This is rare in Sydney,” Liza-Mare said.
Upcoming in 2026
Liza-Mare is preparing two further creative developments, scheduled for early 2026, followed by a public reading at the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab in November 2026.
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