It looks like a musical, sounds like a musical and moves like a musical, but there is more behind the sequined façade of The Sapphires.
Acclaimed theatre director Wesley Enoch is back at Queensland Theatre directing it right now. Enoch, 57, who is one of the country’s arts heavyweights (though he’s pretty mellow) is, among other things, chair of Creative Australia and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Australians at QUT. And he was artistic director of Queensland Theatre Company from 2010 to 2015.
He is a Noonuccal Ngugi man from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), where he lives after many years in Sydney where he helmed the Sydney Festival from 2017 to 2021. He lives quietly at Goompi/Dunwich, potters in the garden, enjoys the occasional swim and spends a lot of time on Zoom and commuting to meet his arts obligations.
But his main obligation right now is directing The Sapphires … again.
Queensland Theatre Company and Canberra Theatre Centre present The Sapphires, the iconic Australian musical by Tony Briggs, in a vibrant new production from April 28 to May 24 at the Bille Brown Theatre in South Brisbane.
First staged in 2004, directed by Enoch for Melbourne Theatre Company, and later adapted into a hit feature film, The Sapphires has become one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary stage works, combining a powerful true story with the sounds and spirit of 1960s soul music.
You might like
The play returns under the direction of Enoch, with a new generation of First Nations performers stepping into the story’s central roles.
Set in 1969, during a period of profound social change in Australia, The Sapphires follows four young Yorta Yorta women from regional Victoria whose Supremes-inspired girl group is discovered by a city talent scout. Their journey takes them from a small-town dance hall to performing for American troops on the frontlines of the Vietnam War.
Enoch says the story continues to resonate with audiences today through both its cultural significance and its enduring spirit. And, as he points out, there is more to it than meets the eye.
“It’s the classic Trojan Horse musical,” he says. “Because deep inside it is a message. If you want to go for the music and the fashions, fine, but there is also the message.”
The message is about the treatment of Indigenous people in this country.
“I’m interested in the relationship between the 1967 Referendum and the true story and also the Referendum not long ago and where we are now. The Sapphires is set at a pivotal moment in Australian history. First Nations people had only just secured the right to vote and were still fighting for recognition and equality in this country.
“What it reminds us of is how recent that history really is, and it invites us to think about how far the country has come since then. At the same time, it is full of warmth, humour and incredible soul music – and that’s what gives the play its joy.”
Subscribe for updates
The story draws on the experiences of Tony Briggs’ mother, Laurel Robinson. Briggs says writing The Sapphires became a way of honouring the women whose stories inspired it.
“The Sapphires came about from growing up listening to the stories my mother and aunties told,” Briggs says. “Those stories were so inspirational that I wanted to pay homage to them.”
the show features classic soul hits … reflecting the music that shaped the era and propelled these remarkable singers onto stages around the world
This new staging marks the Queensland Theatre Company debuts of Ruby Henaway, Aurora Liddle-Christie, Tehya Makani and Taeg Twist, joined by Garett Lyon and Chris Nguyen.
Performed with a live band, the show features classic soul hits including Respect, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss), reflecting the music that shaped the era and propelled these remarkable singers onto stages around the world.
Enoch says we should expect brilliant choreography from former Bangarra dancer and choreographer Yolande Brown.
“We are focussing on the choreography early in rehearsals because Yolande had to go back to Sydney to work on The Drover’s Wife with Leah Purcell,” he says.
He admits that the production will have a nostalgic pull but emphasizes again that there is a strong message inherent in this entertainment.
“Wayne Blair who ended up directing the film was in that first version I directed,” Enoch says. “After the first preview he said – let’s secure the film rights.”
Enoch sets the play a year earlier than that version. His 1968 setting is the year after the Referendum.
“That makes it very raw,” he says. And it underlines the serious intent of a show that is pure joy for any audience.
“God, I love a musical,” Enoch says. “There’s something wonderful about being swept up by a story and the music of a period.”
The Sapphires plays the Bille Brown Theatre, South Brisbane, April 28 to May 24.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
Free to share
This article may be shared online or in print under a Creative Commons licence