Roger Bennett
Encyclopedia
Roger Bennett was an Arrernte
man from Central Australia
, an actor, and a playwright
. His best known works are Up the Ladder and Funerals and Circuses.
His works dealt with his life experiences, particularly the travelling boxing tents, where his father, Elley Bennett
was a boxing
champion during the 1940s and '50s. Roger himself had also fought in the travelling tents.
Up the Ladder was first performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival
in 1990, in a production directed by Bob Maza
. The play subsequently moved to Melbourne
, 1995, for a long stint at the Melbourne Workers Theatre
and came to Sydney
in 1997 for the Festival of the Dreaming. According to the Sydney Morning Herald,
The fact that the play emphasizes positive aspects of the Aboriginal experience in travelling shows led at least one reviewer to criticize it as apolitical. Wesley Enoch
"however argues that any play about Aboriginal people is political," stating that
In 2003, the play travelled to Tokyo
. Staged by the Rakutendan Theatre Company and directed by Enoch (Ilbijerri Theatre Cooperative), the play used many Japanese actors.
In Funerals and Circuses, first performed at the Adelaide Festival in 1992, Bennett dealt with issues of racism and inter-racial relationships in a small, racially tense town in South Australia. The music of Paul Kelly
was used in this production.
Bennett was an actor as well as a playwright. He served as writer in residence at the Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment
in Alice Springs and at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
in Adelaide
.
Bennett's works are often studied in Australian high schools, including the New South Wales
Higher School Certificate, for the issues they tackle.
Arrernte people
The Arrernte people , known in English as the Aranda or Arunta, are those Indigenous Australians who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands in the central area of Australia around Mparntwe or Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Arrernte tribe has lived there for more than 20,000 years...
man from Central Australia
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
, an actor, and a playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. His best known works are Up the Ladder and Funerals and Circuses.
His works dealt with his life experiences, particularly the travelling boxing tents, where his father, Elley Bennett
Elley Bennett
Elliot "Elley" Bennett is an Australian boxer. He was Australian champion in both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.-References:...
was a boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion during the 1940s and '50s. Roger himself had also fought in the travelling tents.
Up the Ladder was first performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival
Adelaide Fringe Festival
The Adelaide Fringe Festival is an arts festival held annually in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. The event is the Southern Hemisphere's largest arts event and the second-largest fringe festival in the world, second in size only to the Edinburgh Fringe...
in 1990, in a production directed by Bob Maza
Bob Maza
Robert "Bob" Lewis Maza was an Australian actor and playwright.Maza was born to a Murray Islander father and to a Yidinjdji mother.-Activism:...
. The play subsequently moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, 1995, for a long stint at the Melbourne Workers Theatre
Melbourne Workers Theatre
Melbourne Workers Theatre is an Australian theatre company from Melbourne, Australia. The company was founded in 1987 by Patricia Cornelius, Steve Payne and Michael White...
and came to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1997 for the Festival of the Dreaming. According to the Sydney Morning Herald,
Up the Ladder takes the audience right inside the spangled, sweaty, tatty and deceptive world of the travelling sideshow carnival, from tawdry fake snake charmers to the sawdust of the boxing ring. [co-director] Enoch says the Aboriginal culture comes through in the play's physicality, mocking humour and the sparse nature of the dialogue. Critics have hailed it as a "feel-good show", "full of fun and good humour".
The fact that the play emphasizes positive aspects of the Aboriginal experience in travelling shows led at least one reviewer to criticize it as apolitical. Wesley Enoch
Wesley Enoch
Wesley Enoch is an Australian playwright and artistic director of Murri descent.- Life :The eldest son of Doug and Lyn Enoch from Stradbroke Island, Wesley Enoch grew up in Brisbane....
"however argues that any play about Aboriginal people is political," stating that
Having black people on stage punching the shit out of each other is political. But this is not agit prop. I think we are entering into a phase - culturally, artistically, politically - where it is actually about the nuance of racism.
In 2003, the play travelled to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Staged by the Rakutendan Theatre Company and directed by Enoch (Ilbijerri Theatre Cooperative), the play used many Japanese actors.
In Funerals and Circuses, first performed at the Adelaide Festival in 1992, Bennett dealt with issues of racism and inter-racial relationships in a small, racially tense town in South Australia. The music of Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
was used in this production.
Bennett was an actor as well as a playwright. He served as writer in residence at the Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment
Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment
The Araluen Centre for Arts & Entertainment in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory, Australia, is a cultural centre incorporating museums and a theatre....
in Alice Springs and at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
The Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, usually referred to simply as Tandanya, is an art museum located on Grenfell Street in Adelaide, South Australia...
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
Bennett's works are often studied in Australian high schools, including the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Higher School Certificate, for the issues they tackle.