THE story of a Balranald grandmother and her incredible journey on a horse and cart in the 1940s is set to come alive on the stage thanks to her grandson Brodie Murray.
The Whisper, written by Murray, is set to premiere at the Melbourne Fringe Festival as a part of Deadly Fringe later this month.
A work of historical fiction, Murray hopes to honour his family story while also highlighting the truth around the stolen generations.
“It’s about a journey which Lorraine (Murray’s nan) made from Ngarrindjeri country in Bordertown all the way across the country on horse and cart with her grandparents and cousins all the way to Swan Hill, arriving under the cover of night,” Murray told The Guardian.
“In our family we have always known about this journey Nan made in the 1940s on horse and cart and the challenges along the way.
“I ended up doing an informal interview with Nan in January and I got a lot more information from her about her experiences and about this journey.”
Murray’s father Ron was a cultural educator who grew up in Balranald with his five sisters, while his late grandfather Bes was a well-respected Indigenous community leader.
“It’s special to share this story and to share this link between this story that takes place on Ngarrindjeri country and finishes on Wamba Wamba country,” Murray said.
“It is special too to be able to connect that with my grandfather who was Wamba Wamba, my grandmother, who is Ngarrindjeri.”
The Whisper is not Murray’s first play he has written, with Billy’s Choice earning him the Melbourne Fringe Festival Best Emerging Indigenous Artist and Young Creatives Award last year.
He is also the current recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts First nations Emerging Career Development Award.
“I was a bit shocked to receive that award earlier in the year, but it was very special to go up to Sydney and receive and it and share that experience with friends and family,” Murray said.
The Whisper will showing from October 15-23 at Festival Hub: Trades Hall – The Studio in Carlton.
For tickets, visit the Melbourne Fringe Festival website and search for “The Whisper”.
