Sydney Festival’s Blak Out program returns to Belvoir St Theatre to take a deep dive into the history (and future) of First Nations theatre.

Curated by Wiradjuri Yuin actor and Redfern resident Angeline Penrith (Wayside Bride), Redfern Renaissance is a series of workshops, discussion panels and performances celebrating the history of National Black Theatre, which operated in Redfern from 1972-1977. The company left a long legacy of activism, self-determination and radical re-thinking of Blak futures through the arts.

Alongside Jacky in the Upstairs Theatre, two classic productions sit at the heart of the program: The Cake Man by Robert Merritt and Here Comes the N****r by Gerry Bostock – a work that has never been published in full and to this day can only be found in excerpts. 

Redfern Renaissance will reckon with the indelible mark these two works made on Blak theatre.  

Staged readings of The Cake Man, followed by a discussion panel, will take place on the following dates:

• Friday 17 January at 5:30pm
• Friday 24 January at 5:30pm

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Staged readings of Here Comes the N****r, followed by a discussion panel, will take place on the following dates:

• Saturday 18 January at 5:30pm
• Saturday 25 January at 5:30pm

BOOK NOW