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Gunawarra Re-Creation presented by ILBIJERRI Theatre Company
 

A powerful Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) story of culture, memory and healing.

Murrun returns to the watering hole; the same one her Aunty Aggie used to take her to.  The sacred one.  Where past and present collide. 

Gunawarra Re-creation by Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) woman Isobel Morphy Walsh is a powerful story of culture, memory and women’s healing.

Drawing on the traditional Kulin story of Gunawarra - the black swan and how it came to have black feathers - the play unfolds with spirit, strength and song in a profound work of contemporary theatre, breathing new life into the lifelong stories of the Taungurung people.

This new 2026 season is led by award-winning Artistic Director Andrea James (Yorta Yorta, Gunaikurnai woman), marking her directorial debut with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company. It follows an incredible opening season at Melbourne Theatre Company in 2024 under the directorship of Dr Rachael Maza AM (Yidinji, Meriam).

This powerful production is more than theatre – it is a transfer of ancestral energy, woven with care, pride and deep cultural memory highlighting the strength, authority and wisdom carried by Blak women, and their extraordinary capacity to heal.

 

 

Event details

Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Lawler - 140 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank VIC 3006
Bookings: https://www.ilbijerri.com.au/event/gunawarra-re-creation/
Start Date: Wednesday 08 July 2026

Wednesday 8 July - Opening Night - 7pm
Thursday 9 July - 2pm and 7pm performances
Friday 10 July - 7pm (Auslan Interpreted Performance)
Saturday 11 July - 7pm

 

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