Tales from the Colony | Voices of Colour & Skindeep Collective

Backbone is an intimate theatre space and I most certainly welcomed that intimacy as the evening unfolded. This space became my haven, my sanctuary from where I could watch in safety as the unspoken became the focus of the evening.

The night’s performance was split into two sections. Anisa Nandaula and Huda Fadlelmawla representing Voices of Colour were first up. Huda (the current Queensland poetry slam winner) enthralled me with her delivery of evocative poems revolving around themes of mother nature, her personal battle with anxiety and depression, and lastly her ode to black excellence. I was impressed with Huda’s delivery of her original material and the depth of her words particularly her references to how hair, hypersexualisation and the mispronouncing of unfamiliar names from the BIPOC community are regarded by our white counterparts. My personal experience deems that the latter is viewed with disdain.

Anisa’s story of how she came to live in Australia had me in hysterics. For not only is Anisa a gifted poet but also a gifted comedian. Hers is a story that resonates with my own migrant self,  and it was delivered with Anisa’s own special brand of slapstick humour. Her entertaining and amusing take on how white Australia viewed her presence on arrival in Ipswich was presented with irrepressible wit and forthright honesty. The taboo subject of racism takes on a whole new meaning when viewed through the lens of Anisa’s black comedy (no pun intended). The audience echoed my sentiments with their uninterrupted peals of laughter. I felt like for once I truly belonged. I had found my tribe.

Skin Deep Collective burst onto the stage with a searing rendition of Advance Australia Fair. The national anthem was interspersed with scintillating vignettes that questioned the validity of truly accepting migrants from different ethnic backgrounds. Special emphasis on the mistreatment of our First Nations was not overlooked.  Presented in an engaging (pretend) citizenship inauguration ceremony this scathing reworded rendition questioned the notion of assimilation and belonging. For this writer it was a telling reminder that being an Australian citizen does not equate to being accepted no matter how long I’ve lived here. As a migrant I should be prepared to deal with this fuckery every day. I do. Most days. Nearly forty years living on stolen land and I STILL get asked ‘where do you come from’ and ‘what accent is that’. Can we just change the conversation already! ‘What is your ethnic background’ is so much more respectful and appropriate. 

Skin Deep Collective. From left to right, Devika Krishnan, Yashán Thilakaratnè, Grace Edward, Naavikaran, Janaki Gerard & Mariah Pelesa.

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Mariah Pelesa’s evocative dance performance had me in tears as she performed her solo choreographed routine to the soulful lyrics of ‘Stand Up’ by Cynthia Eviro. Judging by her captivating dance it was obvious to this audience member that Maria poured her very being, her very soul into interpreting this haunting lyrics. An empowering and uplifting chorus reminded me that freedom is attainable but comes at a sacrifice. 

Grace Edward was honest and upfront about the trauma that is passed from generation to generation that goes hand in hand from living within the confines of a refugee camp. Her loss and feeling of displacement was palpable and magnified my own feelings of loss for my homeland. Grace’s performance struck a chord with me that resonated long after I had left the theatre. 

Not only did Tales from the Colony shine the spotlight on the many levels of racism but it exposed via Naavirakan our myopic view of transgender people of colour. Their mistreatment and misunderstanding continues to be a blight on society which clearly needs to be addressed.

Escalating emotions aside, one of the many highlights of the night was sharing the same space with such a rich mix of people of colour from so many different ethnic backgrounds. This truly felt like being back home again. Besides the delivery of the original material, what impressed was the message of hope and reconciliation this conveyed. The youth of the performers belied the intensity and ferocity with which they boldly embraced their storytelling by speaking out about taboo subjects. It made me yearn for my youth. A time when I too was confident enough to speak out on the distasteful subject of racism and its everlasting impact.  

Let’s be open and transparent. The Black Lives Matter movement has given voice to how black people and people of colour are viewed by their white counterparts. The general consensus? Through a stereotypical lens. The movement now more than ever has thrust racism into the spotlight like never before. Here in Australia it begs the question ‘what do we as a nation have to do to reconcile our bloody past and overcome systemic racism to keep moving forward’. Kudos to Voices of Colour and Skin Deep Collective for tackling this unsavoury topic head on. Their message is clear. Let’s stop avoiding this conversation and engage in a narrative that will enlighten those who prefer to hide in dark places. 

I also have a confession to make. Tales from the Colony evoked emotions that I thought had long been put to rest. I was unprepared for it to catapult me into my past (cue anger, disgust, sadness, loss). So writing this review has been somewhat cathartic.

As Tata Mandela said “We should lay the scourge of RACISM to rest”.

Can we?

Tata : a term of endearment meaning ‘father’ in the ixiXhosa language from South Africa.