Young actor Breythe left Kalgoorlie dreaming of a dazzling career.
Now he’s found himself starring in a controversial Australia Day ad that pays big, but draws the ire of his mob. Racism is subtle but persistent in an industry where directors request he darken up for ‘authenticity’ and typecast him as ‘tracker,’ ‘drinker’ or ‘thief.’
Returning home, Breythe’s just as alienated from country and lore. His cultural capital distances him from furious brother Mateo and activist sister Carina, all of them struggling with regret and responsibility after their father’s death.
Meyne Wyatt burst onto the acting scene in 2011’s Silent Disco at Griffin, going on to grace our screens (The Sapphires, Redfern Now, Mystery Road) and star on the Broadway stage (Peter Pan). Now he returns to the Stables as a playwright who is as courageous as he is merciless. It may be unclear where character ends and creator begins.
City of Gold is a howl of rage at the injustice, inequality and wilful amnesia of this country’s 21st century. It’s an urgent play for our moment from a vital new voice. As Childish Gambino sings across the Pacific ‘This is America,’ Meyne Wyatt calls back loudly ‘This is Australia.’
A co-production with Queensland Theatre
Warnings
This show contains adult themes, theatrical haze, strobe lighting and the smoking of herbal cigarettes.
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Director Isaac Drandic
Assistant Director Shari Indriani
Set Designers Simone Tesorieri & Simona Cosentini
Lighting Designer Jason Glenwright
Composer/Sound Designer Tony Brumpton
Costume Designer Nathalie Ryner
Dramaturg Paige Rattray
Fight Director Nigel Poulton
Directorial Observation Hannah Belanszky
Stage Manager Khym Scott
Assistant Stage Manager Ella Griffin
Acknowledgements
Uncle Gary Cooper
Aunty Rayma (McGrath) Morrison
With Jeremy Ambrum, Mathew Cooper, Maitland Schnaars, Shari Sebbens, Anthony Standish, Christopher Stollery, Meyne Wyatt
Preview 26 – 30 July
Opening Nights 31 July & 1 August
Season 2 August – 31 August
Performance Times
Monday – Friday 7pm
Saturday 2pm & 7pm
Wednesday 28 August 2pm & 7pm
Meet The Artists
Tuesday 6 August
Captioned Performance
Tuesday 27 August
Run Time
Approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes including a 15 minute interval
[Images by Brett Boardman]
Lee Lewis on City of Gold
Trailer for City of Gold
“…fast-paced and full of contrasts, a perfect tempest of heartbreak and rage, guilt and grief. This is contemporary Australian theatre at its finest – urgent, honest, and unmissable.” ★★★★1/2 Elise Lawrence, Limelight
“The swift pacing is masterful and the dialogue – peppered with Wongi words – is a joy.” ★★★★ Kate Hennessy, Sydney Morning Herald
“It goes for the throat. It goes for the heart. It’s breathtaking.” ★★★★ Cassie Tongue, Time Out
“A bold and exciting new voice in Australian playwriting has been discovered and unleashed.” ★★★★ Larissa Behrendt, The Guardian
“A powerful, relevant and timely production.” ★★★★ Suzannah Conway, ArtsHub
“Wyatt’s script combines piss-take humour, feisty family drama and scalding diatribe into a kinetic two hours expertly managed by director Isaac Drandric…Stormy in its moods and provocative in its observations, City of Gold is compelling and necessary theatre.” ★★★★ Jason Blake, Audrey Journal
“It’s tough and craftily uncompromising and also wickedly entertaining. Recommended without reservation.” ★★★★ Diana Simmonds, Stage Noise
“…a howl of rage and pain that just happens to be hilariously funny…It’s a latter-day version of Hamlet where the ghost of the father haunts the younger generation with confusing demands both for action and yet wisdom in the face of injustice. Add to that the casual uber-violence of Childish Gambino’s This is America, and you get a genuine play for our times, and an audience leaping to its feet at the end.” Martin Buzacott, The Australian
“As leading man, Wyatt is a compelling presence, entirely persuasive with all that he brings to the stage. Charming in humorous sections, but it is in explicit moments of political confrontation that he absolutely devastates. Wyatt’s monologue at the beginning of Act 2 ranks as one of the most important theatrical moments in our stage history.” Suzy Wrong, SuzyGoesSee
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.
Supported by Griffin’s Production Partner program:
Production Patrons
Bruce Meagher & Greg Waters
Julia Pincus & Ian Learmonth
Malcolm Robertson Foundation
The Sky Foundation
Kim Williams AM and Catherine Dovey
Ann & Brian O’Connell (in memoriam)
Production Supporters
David Marr & Sebastian Tesoriero
Supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund and by Playwriting Australia as part of its Muru Salon and National Script Workshop programs.
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