By Sujin Jung

Recently, you’ve probably been for a walk through the suburbs. This activity has its own appeals, such as traveling at your own leisurely pace and taking in the scenery. For me, the chief pleasure of the walk is observing my neighbours’ homes. At first glance they look much the same, but if you look closely each house has its own unique atmosphere, enclosed by colourful flowers and gardens. Dear Australia, the recent project of Playwriting Australia, is like taking a walk through the suburbs.

Dear Australia consists of 50 stories, or virtual ‘postcards’ addressing the past, present, and future of Australia. This project was inspired by Dear Ireland, the work of the Ireland’s Abbey Theatre, which undertook a similar nationwide collaborative project. In the midst of a pandemic, it serves as a singular account of a time that has demanded us to reflect on the heart of the nation. 50 playwrights from 25 theatre organisations across Australia have written 50 short monologues, which have been self-recorded by 50 performers. Although all stories have the same general form, the project is never monotonous. Watching Dear Australia reveals the breadth and diversity of our national experiences, from stories about personal vulnerability to the impacts of colonisation.

What is most impressive, however, is that each story shows a range of ways to communicate a narrative. While many of the short works are recorded in the actors’ own homes, some take to spaces such as a theatre and a park. Even when two actors choose a similar space, such as seated at a table at home, they adopt completely different techniques and tone in conveying their respective stories. For instance, #4 Baby I’m Home (by Ellen van Neerven with Elaine Crombie) is a monologue about the current situation, quietly seated at a dinner table while pouring a glass of wine. Meanwhile, #6 Slow Doom (by Morgan Rose with Emily Goddard) sets a similar scene at a dinner table, but the distant sound of music from upstairs, a phone call, and the action of making origami sets a more intimate mood. In other examples of creative difference, #49 The Epidemy of our Time (by Future D Fidel with Pacharo Mzembe) chooses to disregard the background by zooming in the actor’s face, and #50 There is the Light (by Richard Frankland with Jack Thompson) employs existing footage like news reels and visual graphics. In short, viewers experience 50 unique spaces and stories. The diversity of narratives, voices and creative storytelling choices compensates for the limits of the digital, incorporeal form of the project.

The duration of this four-and-a-half hour long series reflects the gravity of the current moment, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement. Many of the short works highlight important stories to us, which might have otherwise gone unnoticed amongst the overwhelming amount of content produced as our lives have shifted entirely online. These stories deal with questions and problems of the future, and our ability to make change in Australia now. Therefore, the layers of meaning behind each work are serious, but still contain some moments of quirkiness and humour.

The majority of the stories are linked thematically to the pandemic and its impact on all Australian lives. #3 Hello Australia (by Willoh S Weiland with Kris McQuade (Puppet by Noah Casey)) is a stand-up show hosted by the coronavirus, asking us who causes the most suffering –the virus itself or people. As the virus argues, it does not discriminate. On the other hand, people are to blame for racism, which selectively oppresses and threatens the lives of minorities. #16 Our Lot 44 (by Anchuli Felicia King with Catherine Văn-Davies) and #25 Spiderweb (by Brendan Hogan with Connor David Skillicorn) deals with similar themes. Our Lot 44 comments on the contagion of racism through humour, by depicting an art auction for racist graffiti art in Melbourne. Spiderweb illustrates a 12-year-boy’s sincere apology to his mate for making racist remarks. Stories such as #23 Home Schooling (by Aanisa Vylet with Alaa Sukkarieh) and #26 Delivery (by Tasnim Hossain with Arka Das) ask us whether we are all truly in this together, through the voices of a Muslim school kid who has a sibling with Down Syndrome and an UberEats delivery man. (For reasons of cultural sensitivity, I would have preferred if Home Schooling didn’t include a one-liner about ‘smart Asian chicks’.)

Other stories deal more directly with the Black Lives Matter movement. #1 The Night the Bleeding Stopped (Nakkiah Lui with Miranda Tapsell) depicts the emotion and strength of First Nations women who have endured the impact of the colonisation, dealing with this subject in a nuanced and provocative way. #32 For Once (by Rachael Chisholm with Shaka Cook) makes an earnest, yet frustrated call to protect the lives and land of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. #44 2020:232 Years (by Kylie Coolwell with Angeline Penrith) raises questions regarding the institutionalised racism embedded in Australian society. The series also contains stories about a range of personal vulnerabilities, related to the body, gender, and loss. #7 And My Body (by Claire Christian with Megan Wilding) discusses the female body and online dating, and #39 Allan (by Gretel Vella with Harriet Gordon Anderson) is about the loss and limitations of our lives.

Although so many online theatre projects have already emerged in this pandemic, Dear Australia makes a unique demonstration of what is possible with form, tone and creative direction in a solely online space. Both a personal and collective series, it is a truly amazing opportunity to watch a nationwide project comprised of contributions by so many different theatre organisations and diverse Australian voices.

After watching all the ‘postcards’ created by the varied voices of Australian theatre, I would love to ‘Reply to All’ and express my gratitude. The project felt like the flame of a campfire on a cold winter’s night. It lit both my neighbours’ faces and my own and warmed all of our exhausted hearts. Dear Australia, let us move forward together, sharing this warm flame.

Dear Australia is currently available for streaming on the website of Arts Centre Melbourne as well as on Playwriting Australia’s YouTube channel until 1 September 2020.