Rainbow's End April 27, 2011

Following the huge success of its Sydney premiere in 2009 Jane Harrison’s moving play, Rainbow’s End, is returning to Riverside Theatres from April 28 to May 7.

Rainbow’s End is a snapshot of Australian life in the nineteen fifties as experienced by three generations of Koori women. Returning in 2011 to tour this powerful tale of familial love and hope is the stellar cast from the 2009 Riverside season featuring film and television veteran Lillian Crombie as Nan Dear, popular music performer Christine Anu as her daughter Gladys and relative newcomer Chenoa Deemal as teenage granddaughter Dolly. Garth Holcombe joins the Rainbow’s End cast in 2011 playing multiple roles including Errol.

With humour and gentle irony Rainbow’s End skillfully captures the optimistic spirit of the women as they strive to belong in conservative rural Australia. Directed by award-winning director Craig Ilott and produced by Riverside Productions, this funny and engaging play is touring Australia from the end of April.

The three women live in a shack on the flood plain of the Goulburn River near Shepparton in Victoria. The time is 1954 and the royal visit is creating a climate of queen and country’ pride in the postcolonial world of Menzies Australia. Although Nan believes their life on “the flats” represents a certain progress, Gladys is eager to secure a real house and job for Dolly in town.

“In 2009 I was asked to play the role of Gladys in Rainbows End. I am excited to be back on board for the national touring production of this great Australian play,” says Christine Anu, who plays the role of Gladys. “Rainbows End has a wonderfully powerful storyline about three generations of Indigenous women, the audience learns not only about their relationships with one another but also the individual characters, who are undertaking their own personal journeys” continued Christine Anu.

Like Jane Harrison’s extraordinarily successful earlier play Stolen, Rainbow’s End is a story of hope, of love and of the search for identity and belonging. Most of all it is a celebration of the triumph of human spirit as the three feisty women fight for an equal chance and acceptance in a white community. With music from the period, this funny and moving play has great heart.

The Rainbow’s End tour coincides with the play being included in the NSW HSC Syllabus for English in the Belonging area of study.

"I decided to write about the '50s, but instead of writing about the obvious heroes, I chose to write about the unsung heroes," said the playwright Jane Harrison. The Sydney premier of Rainbow's End was in 2009 at Riverside Theatres. Rainbow's End was commissioned by Victoria's Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative in 2001 and was first performed there, it has played in Japan and also at Rumbalara, meaning rainbow, near Shepparton, Victoria - the Aboriginal settlement which inspired the work.

“Rainbow’s End is a testament to the transformative power of learning. While it is set in another era the message is relevant to the current situation in many indigenous communities and amongst cultural minorities. But first and foremost Rainbow’s End is a truly feel good night in the theatre’ says the play’s producer Camilla Rountree.

Anu, Crombie and Deemal turn in solidly truthful and engaging performances. Deemal is particularly good as Dolly…
Sydney Morning Herald

Jane Harrison's warm-hearted drama focuses on three generations of Aboriginal women to spotlight one family's struggle for… opportunity… Harrison's characters are made three-dimensional with some interesting quirks.
Sydney Morning Herald

Led by the ebullient and larger than life Lillian Crombie as Nan and a really fine performance from Christine Anu as her daughter Gladys… Rainbow's End pulls no punches… but nor do they become either a diatribe or dirge.
Stage Noise
RAINBOW’S END
Riverside THEATRES, Cnr Church and Market Sts, Parramatta
DATES: April 28 – May 7
TIMES: Thu 28 Apr, Fri 29 Apr, Mon 2 May, Tue 3 May, Wed 4 May, Thu 5 May at 11am; Sat 30 Apr 7.30pm;
Fri 6 May 11am & 7.30pm; Sat 7 May at 2.15pm & 7.30pm

BOOKINGS: Riverside Box Office 02 8839 3399 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              02 8839 3399      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              02 8839 3399      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or