''Aliwa!'' is a play by

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

playwright

Dallas Winmar Dallas Winmar is a Western Australian writer who first worked with Company B in 2001 on the staging of her play ''Aliwa!''. This play was first showcased in Perth by Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre and developed at the Australian National Playwr ...

, and published by

Currency Press Currency Press is a leading performing arts publisher and its oldest independent publisher still active. Their list includes plays and screenplays, professional handbooks, biographies, cultural histories, critical studies and reference works. H ...

in 2002.

Plot

Based on a true story of a mother who tries to keep her three daughters from being taken away by officials after the death of her husband. It was later presented by Company B, was directed by

Neil Armfield Neil Geoffrey Armfield (born 22 April 1955) is an Australian director of theatre, film and opera. Biography Born in Sydney, Armfield is the third and youngest son of Len, a factory worker at the nearby Arnott's Biscuits factory and Nita Armf ...

, starred

Ningali Lawford Ningali Josie Lawford, also known as Ningali Lawford-Wolf and Josie Ningali Lawford, (1967 – 11 August 2019) was an Aboriginal Australian actress known for her roles in the films ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'' (2002), ''Bran Nue Dae'' (2009), and '' ...

Kylie Belling Kylie Belling is an Australian stage, film and television actress and voice artist, who has also worked in other occupations. she works as Senior Manager, First Peoples, for ''Creative Victoria''. Biography Belling was born in Melbourne and ...

and

Deborah Mailman Deborah Jane Mailman (born 14 July 1972) is an Australian television and film actress, and singer. Mailman played the character Kelly Lewis on the Australian television series ''The Secret Life of Us'' and Cherie Butterfield in the Australian c ...

and was introduced by one of the sisters the play is based on, Aunty Dot Collard.

First Production

Aliwah! was first produced by Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre at the Subiaco Theatre, Perth, on 26 July 2000, with the following cast: *Mum / Alice, Dot, Reserve Boy:

Rachael Maza Rachael Zoa Maza is an Indigenous Australian television and film actress and stage director. Early life and education Maza is of Dutch, Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian heritage, the daughter of Bob Maza, also an actor. She is ...

*Judith, School Teacher: Irma Woods *Ethel, Native Welfare Officer:

Kylie Farmer Kylie Bracknell, formerly Kylie Farmer and also known as Kaarljilba Kaardn, is an Aboriginal Australian writer, director and actress. Career Farmer played Juliet in a run of ''Romeo and Juliet'' with the Australian Shakespeare Company, featured i ...

*Director,

Lynette Narkle Lynette Narkle, (born 1946) is an Australian indigenous theatre and film actor and director. Education Narkle studied Theatre and Drama from 2002 at Murdoch University in Perth. Career Narkle started in theatre in 1979, with indigenous playwri ...

*Designer, Tish Oldham *Sound and original music, David Milroy *Lighting Designer, Mark Howett

Awards

''Aliwa!'' won the 2002

Kate Challis RAKA Award The Kate Challis RAKA Award is an arts award worth , awarded annually by the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia to Indigenous Australian creative artists. It is awarded in a five-year cycle, each year in a different area of the arts: ...

and was shortlisted for the 2002

Western Australian Premier's Book Awards The Western Australian Premier's Book Awards is an annual book award provided by the Government of Western Australia, and managed by the State Library of Western Australia. History and format Annual literary awards were inaugurated by the Wes ...

and the 2003

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards were created by the Victorian Government with the aim of raising the profile of contemporary creative writing and Australia's publishing industry. As of 2013, it is reportedly Australia's richest literary p ...

- Louis Esson Prize for Drama.

References

{{reflist Australian plays 2000 plays Indigenous Australian theatre Stage plays about Aboriginal Australians