Blackrock (play)
Encyclopedia
Blackrock is a play by Australian playwright Nick Enright
. It was inspired by the real-life rape and murder of schoolgirl Leigh Leigh
in Stockton
, near Newcastle
, Australia
on 3 November 1989.
It won the 1996 AWGIE Award for Best Play.
. It was also shown at the National Institute of Dramatic Art
in 1993. Enright subsequently developed it at Sydney Theatre Company
into Blackrock, where it was performed in 1995 and 1996. While the new play retained at least three of the main characters, the narrative and emphasis were reshaped for an audience outside of a specifically educational environment.
Ricko and the community would soon be scrutinized by news bulletins across the nation. The locals reacted differently: The surfers continued their lives as if nothing had happened. Cherie, who also happened to be Jared's cousin, resorted to violent behaviours; Rachel had to face the news that her brother Toby was one of the accused. Jared was torn between the need to reveal what he saw for the sake of justice, and the desire to protect Ricko, Toby and the other rapists in the name of 'mateship'. His silence eventually led to the breakdown of his relationships, not only with Rachel, but also with his mother Diane, who was recovering from breast cancer.
in a production by David Berthold
in 1995. The production starred Joel Edgerton
, Simon Lyndon
, Dan Wyllie, Angela Punch McGregor
, Paul Bishop
and Kym Wilson
. It was revived by STC in 1996 and played at the Australian Theatre Festival in Canberra
. It has since had more many productions throughout Australia, the most recent being a Newcastle based theatre company, Tantrum Theatre, presenting the play in 2010. It is published by Currency Press
.
Nick Enright
-Life:He was drama captain of St Ignatius' College, Riverview in 1964, where, like Gerard Windsor and Justin Fleming, he was taught by Melvyn Morrow. At that school, he won the 1sts Debating Premiership in both 1966 and 1967....
. It was inspired by the real-life rape and murder of schoolgirl Leigh Leigh
Murder of Leigh Leigh
The murder of Leigh Leigh is a case concerning the rape and murder of Leigh Leigh, a 14-year-old girl from Stockton, Australia, in 1989.Leigh Leigh's body was found in sand dunes at Stockton Beach following a 16-year-old boy's birthday party. Her body had severe genital damage and a crushed skull...
in Stockton
Stockton, New South Wales
Stockton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is the only suburb of Newcastle that lies north of the Hunter River.-Geography:...
, near Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 3 November 1989.
It won the 1996 AWGIE Award for Best Play.
Origins
The play had its origin in 1992 as Enright's A Property of the Clan, a theatre-in-education piece written for Freewheels Theatre in Education in Newcastle, New South WalesNewcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
. It was also shown at the National Institute of Dramatic Art
National Institute of Dramatic Art
The National Institute of Dramatic Art is an Australian national training institute for students of theatre, film, and television, based in the Sydney suburb of Kensington. It is supported by the federal Office for the Arts, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. NIDA is located adjacent...
in 1993. Enright subsequently developed it at Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Theatre Company
The Sydney Theatre Company is one of Australia's best-known theatre companies operating from The Wharf Theatre near The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Sydney Theatre and the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre....
into Blackrock, where it was performed in 1995 and 1996. While the new play retained at least three of the main characters, the narrative and emphasis were reshaped for an audience outside of a specifically educational environment.
Plot
Blackrock was set in a fictional Australian beach side working-class suburb called Blackrock, where surfing was popular among youths like Jared. He had his first serious girlfriend, Rachel, who came from a much wealthier part of the city. One day Ricko, the local surfing legend, came back after an eleven-month odyssey, and Jared gave him a 'welcome home' get together. A few nights later it was Rachel's brother Toby's birthday party which was held at the local beach club.Unsupervised and with alcohol freely available, tragedy soon arrived - Jared witnessed a girl called Tracy being raped by three youths (Davo; Scott; and Toby, Rachel's brother). After which she was murdered by Ricko with a rock. And Jared did nothing to stop the attacks.Ricko and the community would soon be scrutinized by news bulletins across the nation. The locals reacted differently: The surfers continued their lives as if nothing had happened. Cherie, who also happened to be Jared's cousin, resorted to violent behaviours; Rachel had to face the news that her brother Toby was one of the accused. Jared was torn between the need to reveal what he saw for the sake of justice, and the desire to protect Ricko, Toby and the other rapists in the name of 'mateship'. His silence eventually led to the breakdown of his relationships, not only with Rachel, but also with his mother Diane, who was recovering from breast cancer.
Premiere Production
Blackrock was premiered by Sydney Theatre CompanySydney Theatre Company
The Sydney Theatre Company is one of Australia's best-known theatre companies operating from The Wharf Theatre near The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Sydney Theatre and the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre....
in a production by David Berthold
David Berthold
David Berthold is a leading Australian theatre director. He has directed for most of Australia's major theatre companies, as well as internationally. Since November 2008, he has been Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of La Boite Theatre Company...
in 1995. The production starred Joel Edgerton
Joel Edgerton
Joel Edgerton is an Australian film and television actor.-Early life:Edgerton was born in Blacktown, Sydney, to a homemaker mother and a solicitor/property developer father, Michael. His brother, Nash Edgerton, is a stuntman and filmmaker...
, Simon Lyndon
Simon Lyndon
Simon Lyndon Simon Lyndon Simon Lyndon (born February 1971, in London is an Australian actor who grew up in Fremantle, Western Australia. He is a WAAPA graduate. He played Jimmy Loughlin in Chopper with Eric Bana, for which he won an AFI award for Best Supporting Actor and a Film Critics Circle...
, Dan Wyllie, Angela Punch McGregor
Angela Punch McGregor
Angela Punch McGregor is an Australian actress.As "Angela Punch" she acted in television serial Class of '75 and had a guest role in situation comedy Alvin Purple ....
, Paul Bishop
Paul Bishop
Paul Bishop is an author and a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department with the current rank of Detective III. He is also a writer with numerous published novels and produced episodes of episodic television and feature film scripts...
and Kym Wilson
Kym Wilson
Kym Wilson is an Australian actress.Wilson was born in Brisbane, Australia. She completed her secondary education at Stella Maris College, Manly. Her first major role was in the television mini-series Brides of Christ and she remains best known for playing Darcy Hudson in A Country Practice...
. It was revived by STC in 1996 and played at the Australian Theatre Festival in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. It has since had more many productions throughout Australia, the most recent being a Newcastle based theatre company, Tantrum Theatre, presenting the play in 2010. It is published by Currency Press
Currency Press
Currency Press is Australia's only specialist performing arts publisher and its oldest independent publisher still active. Their list includes plays and screenplays, professional handbooks, biographies, cultural histories, critical studies and reference works....
.