Review: Nathan Maynard's AT WHAT COST? Is A Powerful Insight Into The Historic Treatment Of Tasmania's Indigenous Community And The Ongoing Fight Against Exploitation

Wednesday 2nd February 2022, 7:30pm, Belvoir St Theatre

Anchored in history and reality, Nathan Maynard's AT WHAT COST? brings the story of treatment of Tasmania's Indigenous population to the forefront as a modern generation deals with a new form of appropriation and exploitation. While modern society is gaining a better awareness of the horrors inflicted on the Aboriginal community by early European settlers, this new work helps reinforce that the Traditional owners of this country are still fighting to protect their heritage, culture and country from a new generation seeking to steal their story.

On Jacob Nash's beautifully designed set that evokes the remoteness of Putalina country in Tasmania's Oyster Cove, the story of the gatekeeper of the land that was finally handed back to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community in 1995, and his role as the Fire Maker for the long-awaited return of the final remains of his ancestor William Lanne plays out. Palawa elder Boyd (Luke Carroll) has been appointed by the Aboriginal Land Council to oversee the land and protect it from potential takeover bids by the HAT people, the Hidden Aboriginals of Tasmania who claim to be Palawa but have no proof aside from assertions of oral traditions of connections to mainland Tasmanian communities that anthropological history has deemed to have been eliminated. As Boyd's heavily pregnant wife Nala (Sandy Greenwood) shares the good news that ancestor William Lanne, the last full blooded Aboriginal Tasmanian man's head is due to be returned by an English museum, the honor of performing the highly sacred ceremonial cremation and release of Lanne's spirit to the Sky Mob is threatened by a newcomer to the region. While redheaded Gracie (Alex Malone) first presents herself as an anthropology student researching the truth behind former Tasmanian Premier William Crowther's dark past as the man responsible for mutilating Lanne's corpse and stealing his skull in 1869, Boyd isn't as convinced as his cousin Daniel's (Ari Maza Long) belief that she comes in peace.

Directed by Isaac Drandic, a Noongar man from southwest Western Australia, this work which is close to playwright Nathan Maynard's heart as being part of his story as a Palawa man, is infused with humor and honesty whilst ensuring the underlying messages hit home with the passion and power intended. For those less familiar with the history, the reinforcement of the horrors that white settlers inflicted on the indigenous inhabitants of the country are astounding in the ability of one group of humans to treat another group as lesser, considering it acceptable to treat them as science experiments, ignoring any respect for the dead or other societies beliefs and culture. AT WHAT COST? also highlights a new wave of exploitation in the form of those that claim to have distant connections to Aboriginal heritage but cannot provide any proof beyond verbal assertions and are unwilling to undergo any form of scientific proof in the form of DNA analysis. While AT WHAT COST? describe these "Claimers" and "Tick-a-boxers" as part of a group called Hidden Aboriginals of Tasmania, which may be a more fictional expression of the group, the people claiming connection are real and their apparent aim seems to be to gain access to government services reserved for people of Aboriginal descent.

The quartet of performers deliver a powerful expression of the story of history, connection, spirituality, and country. Nash's set gives the earth life, echoing the connection Boyd has with the land. Keerthi Subramanyam's costume design ensures that the story is set in the present while giving clues to the true nature of the characters, from the down to earth Boyd predominantly in jeans and t-shirt, contemporary city raised Daniel and Gracie, a woman that has little qualms about appropriating icons from various cultures. The ceremonial Kangaroo skin cloak and ochre daubs that Boyd dons for the ceremonial welcoming of Lanne's remains back to country presents a powerful image to reinforce that Boyd is still very much connected to country and tradition. Chloe Ogilvie's lighting design evokes the space of the country with starlight over the scene while also having the capacity to breathe life into the land. Brendon Boney's composition and David Bergman's sound design shifts from ethereal spirituality and connection to traditional songs to ominous and foreboding.

AT WHAT COST? is an important piece of contemporary Australian theatre that all audiences should see. Powerful while still having the balance of humor, levity and likable characters in the form of Carroll's Boyd, Greenwood's Nala and Maza Long's Daniel contrasted with Malone's secretive and devious Gracie, this work is entertaining while being enlightening and informative.

https://belvoir.com.au/productions/at-what-cost-3/

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