"ILBIJERRI exudes a defiant sense of honesty and a clear determination to create change through story." Broadsheet
ILBIJERRI Theatre Company presents LUSH LIFE
10 minutes Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse Adults (18+)
The extraordinary life of one of Australia’s finest jazz singers.
Wilma Reading is one of Australia's most accomplished Jazz singers, however her name is largely unknown. Lush Life charts the rise of a young Indigenous singer, contrasted against the complex race politics and social upheaval of 1960s Australia. Wilma believed race and gender were no barrier to her ambition. When she sang, she could be anyone she wanted to be.
Hugely successful, she toured the world, appearing regularly on TV, singing for the troops in Vietnam and even performing in Berlin as the wall came down. With determination and resilience Wilma Reading created a successful singing career that continues to this day. Lush Life brings to the stage her inspirational life story, a story that needs to be heard.
Image: James Henry
Meet the artist
ILBIJERRI Theatre Company
ILBIJERRI is Australia's leading and longest running Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander theatre company. We create challenging and inspiring theatre, creatively controlled by Indigenous artists. Our stories are provocative and affecting and give voice to our unique and diverse cultures.
Born from community, ILBIJERRI has become a spearhead for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in telling our stories of what it means to be Indigenous in Australia today. Each year we travel to national, regional and remote locations across Australia and the world with work that empowers and enlightens our audiences.
Contact:
- Simeon Moran
- Executive Producer
- ILBIJERRI Theatre Company
- simeon@ilbijerri.com.au
- +61 402 514 017
- http://ilbijerri.com.au/