It promises to be rough, raw and full of chaos. One thing is for sure; Doku Rai (you, dead man, I don’t believe you) at Carriageworks, is not for the faint hearted.
“I think what’s really great about this work is that it’s part performance & theatre, part rock concert, part visual art installation and part East Timorese fairytale,” explains Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah.
Not simply telling a singular story, Doku Rai is full of variety as it attempts to merge traditional and contemporary culture.
“It’s telling a range of different stories about Timor-Leste at the moment including the impact of contemporary culture and also legends and traditional cultural stories that manifest and come to life. I think that’s that intersection between traditional cultures and contemporary cultures,” says Havilah.
Being the first international production to come out of Timor-Leste, the hope is that Doku Rai becomes a beacon of light for other productions in its country to follow.
“It’s had such a huge audience response in the places that it’s been presented. I just hope that success translates to creating pathways for other performers in Timor-Leste,” explains Havilah. (AH)
Sep 25-28, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Redfern, $35, carriageworks.com.au
BY ANDREW HODGSON