After several years in development Performing Lines is delighted to announce Andrea James’ Sunshine Super Girl will be part of Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2020 mainstage season after a regional premiere season in Griffith.
A celebration of the life of Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, Australia’s first female Aboriginal world tennis champion, Sunshine Super Girl traces her rise from taking backyard lessons to centre court at Wimbledon.
Written and directed by Yorta Yorta/Kurnai theatremaker Andrea James, Sunshine Super Girl is the product of several years’ meticulous research including visits to Evonne’s home-town, a trip to the Wimbledon Library and a chance to watch a centre court match during the Grand Slam tournament.
Audiences will have a unique opportunity to catch all the on-stage action up close, with a special custom-built stadium set taking audiences court-side.
“Evonne’s story is such an inspiration, particularly for those of us who hail from the bush. She showed us that we can be anything we want to be if we put our mind and heart into it,” said Andrea James.
“At a time when Aboriginal people were relegated to the fringes, Evonne put us well and truly in the spotlight and showed that sheer talent and cultural force can surpass privilege any day.”
Performing Lines’ Executive Producer Marion Potts said that the work is ambitious in every sense.
“This new independent, First Nations work would not have seen the light of day without a groundswell of support from our regional presenter colleagues dating back to its infancy,” she said.
“We are thrilled to now be partnering with Melbourne Theatre Company to bring the show to metro audiences after it premieres in Griffith – where the story begins. This attests to the importance of Evonne’s story to communities all around Australia from large urban centres to small country towns.”
For tickets and more information, please click here>>
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Sunshine Super Girl is produced by Performing Lines and supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, the NSW Government through Create NSW, Playwriting Australia through its Playwrights’ Retreat Program, Melbourne Theatre Company, and regional production co-commissioning venue partners including Griffith Regional Theatre, Country Arts SA, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, and Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.
