Rachael Maza Would Rather Lay Bricks Than Make Pointless Theatre

"Working in theatre," Rachael Maza begins, "I feel incredibly optimistic about this country. It's why I continue to work in the arts, when I feel like I'm right at the coalface of an inclusive and positive conversation about our country and its history. As an artist it's all about what the work is saying; otherwise I couldn't be bothered. I'd rather lay bricks than make theatre that says nothing. It has to be great art, but it has to have something to say."

It's clear why Maza is the perfect fit for her role as Artistic Director of Ilbijerri Theatre Company, Australia's leading and longest-running Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander theatre company. In 2011 Ilbijerri joined forces with Belvoir and version 1.0 to create a collaborative documentary theatre work about the death in custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee on Palm Island in 2004. The resulting work, Beautiful One Day, continues to tour and resonate with the complex issue of contemporary race relations.

"We'll acknowledge that you're a leader, but it's not ok to speak up and stand up for your community?"

"To be honest we didn't actually think this play would go beyond those first couple of shows in Sydney and Melbourne, then one thing led to another, we got invited to London and it became very evident that this was important."

The production went to London's Southbank Centre as part of the Origins Festival Of First Nations, and in coming weeks will "return to country" with the first performances in Palm Island, and a run as part of the Brisbane Festival.

"There's been DVDs of the play circling around and there were a group of almost 40 community members, elders and people involved in the production that were flown down to Sydney and saw the opening show, and obviously we've got three Palm Islanders in the play and there's no way they'd do a show they weren't happy with... That was part of the negotiation of the work; it was always about what was the story that you fellas are ready to tell, or want to tell. These shows feel to me like our most important audience."

At one point in Beautiful One Day they quote the prosecution of Lex Wotton, a two-time councillor on the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council when Domadgee died, for his participation in riots: "You are a leader in your community, but in some ways that makes you more guilty." Maza paraphrases, citing the similarity of the language currently being used to admonish Adam Goodes. "Because you stood up as a leader in your community, it's just outrageous. We'll acknowledge that you're a leader, but it's not ok to speak up and stand up for your community? You know, it's like: you're good if you keep quiet and stay in your place and don't disrupt the status quo.

"The point of these discussions is not pointing fingers at anyone. We are all enmeshed in the complexity and without a doubt there is a sense of people feeling overwhelmed and I don't know how we're ever going to change it because it is complex. All of us as individuals, as adults, there comes a point where you go 'Ok, I'll take responsibility for my own part in it.' That feeling of being overwhelmed, or that it's too hard, that's what we've got to break through as a country."