Black Diggers – Sydney Festival

Overview

As part of Sydney Festival, Wesley Enoch directs the world-premiere of Black Diggers, a new play written by Tom Wright that uncovers the contribution of Aboriginal Diggers to Australia’s First World War effort.

Featuring an all-male, all-Indigenous cast, the play draws upon extensive consultation and recent research to bring to light some truly exceptional stories of heroism forged out on the battlefields of Gallipoli, Palestine and Flanders. Marking the eve of the centenary of WWI, the piece aims to share an overlooked moment in Australian history.

Black Diggers is a collaboration between Sydney Festival and the Queensland Theatre Company, of which Enoch is the artistic director. Given the track record of both Enoch as a director and Wright as a writer/adaptor (he co-adapted the STC’s stunning War of the Roses with Benedict Andrews) this promises to be a powerful piece of theatre.