The 7 Stages of Grieving

The 7 Stages of Grieving is a wise and powerful play about the grief of Aboriginal people and the hope of reconciliation. In this one-everywoman show, Chenoa Deemal (Mother Courage and Her Children) spins poignant stories of different people from different mobs – tear-streaked tales of tragedy go hand-in-hand with jubilant celebrations of simple survival.

On Wednesday, March 25^th, the Years 11 and 12 Drama classes accompanied by interested teachers attended Queensland Theatre Company’s adaptation of “7 Stages of Grieving”, held at the Billie Brown Studios, West End.

This was certainly one performance that left all of us emotionally moved and reflective.

The 7 Stages of Grieving is a wise and powerful play about the grief of Aboriginal people and the hope of reconciliation. In this one-everywoman show, Chenoa Deemal (Mother Courage and Her Children) spins poignant stories of different people from different mobs – tear-streaked tales of tragedy go hand-in-hand with jubilant celebrations of simple survival.

Funny, devastatingly sad, politically relevant and culturally profound as it traverses the phases of Aboriginal history, The 7 Stages of Grieving is an invitation to face hard truths, to join hands and grieve. It shares true and personal stories that need to keep being told. And perhaps most importantly, it opens a dialogue about the issues that separate and unite Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

On the bus back to the College, there was much lively discussion and dialogue about the production.

One student summarised the experience beautifully, by stating:

“This play has changed my heart!” “Now, I get it!”

Coming soon - Brisbane

In 1942, Brisbane changed forever Between 1942 and 1945, Queensland became a support base for the war effort in the South West Pacific with many American troops coming to the area. Although the direct horror of World War II did not reach as far as Brisbane, there were major advances from Japanese forces close to home and the subsequent bombing of Darwin and Townsville on home soil. As a result, the people of Brisbane and its stationed troops, including those from America, were pressured to prepare for the worst. This pressure was inevitably felt more so by those most vulnerable, the children, with many undoubtedly enduring a premature coming of age.

Queensland Theatre Company’s world premiere of Brisbane explores this and the relationship between the Australian and American troops through the eyes of one 14-year-old-boy, Danny Fisher.

“During 1942 the Australian and the American troops didn’t get along very well at all. There was a lot of resentment from both sides. The Australian soldiers were made to feel like second-best in their own country and the Americans felt unappreciated for defending our country,”says Brisbane writer Matthew Ryan.“That tension built to a very ugly event in the middle of the city they were all supposed to be defending.” “1942 was a coming-of-age for our city. What better way to explore that than through the eyes of a 14-year-old kid?” he says. Drawing on true stories from the leafy streets of Brisbane in the middle of wartime, Brisbane is a life-affirming coming-of-age tale, with moments of sublime comedy amid a heartfelt tale of a family fragmented by tragedy. A living, breathing picture postcard from a time that could have been the making or breaking of a city. 

Featuring an all-star cast including Matthew Backer, Conrad Coleby, Lucy Goleby, Dash Kruck, Daniel Murphy, Hugh Parker, Hayden Spencer and Melanie Zanetti.