Following a six month national tour, final shows have been announced in Melbourne and Bendigo with one final free performance in Geelong.
Family drama unfolds, and the tension between patriotism and racism is revealed in the double bill performance of Stardust and The Mission – a spellbinding two-part theatrical performance returning to Geelong for one final (and free) performance following a six-month national tour.
Final shows have also been announced in Victoria, with a performance at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne (The Mission only) and at the Capital in Bendigo this July.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
Created and produced by The Space Company with the 2022 national tour coordinated by Regional Arts Victoria, Stardust + The Mission features two powerful yet forgotten true stories from Australia’s past, performed by award-winning ABC presenter & performer, Joel Carnegie, and acclaimed Gunditjmara actor, Tom Molyneux.
Stardust tells the story of bandleader and trumpet player, Col Brain. Before he died, Col placed his most prized life possessions into a cupboard and locked it up, never to be opened again. But what was inside? Told through the eyes of his grandson – award winning ABC presenter & performer, Joel Carnegie – herein lies the discovery of a time capsule of Australian musical life, in a heart-warming quest to uncover what Col wanted us to know about his life by the things he left behind.
The Mission follows the journey of “Fighting Gunditjmara” man, Allan McDonald – one of the first Aboriginal soldiers from Victoria to enlist for war. He fought at Gallipoli and Beersheba, only to be denied a soldier’s settlement on his ultimate return to Australia and forced from his land at the Lake Condah Mission. This captivating and rollicking story, told by his great, great nephew, Gunditjmara man Tom Molyneux, tells the truth of Uncle Allan’s struggle; fighting for Country, for love, and for justice.
Directed by Green Room Award-nominated director Daniel Lammin, STARDUST + THE MISSION will bring to life lingering memories and lessons from the past, as told by two Australian storytellers at the top of their game.
Also drawing on Australia’s rich jazz and brass band traditions, a six-piece brass band will also perform live on stage across the two stories, with over 20 local bands performing in the show across Australia, over the course of the national tour.
The double bill STARDUST + THE MISSION toured Victoria in 2019 and the upcoming shows will mark the final performances of the first Australian tour for the double bill.
Final Shows:
13 July – The Capital, Bendigo
14 July – Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne (The Mission only)
15 July – Deakin University, Geelong (Free Show!)
Find out more and book tickets here.
