House of Oz - Joel Bray Q&A

Daddy is a provocative, participatory performance by Joel Bray Dance, presented in collaboration with House of Oz. Created by acclaimed Aboriginal choreographer Joel Bray, the show blends contemporary dance, physical theatre, and comedy.

Please tell us about your show. What can audiences expect when they come to see it?

Daddy defies categorisation. So I always find it hard to answer this question. Daddy is my personal story, if my father leaving me and the loss of connection to my Aboriginal cultural heritage that resulted in. And it’s about my search for sex, love and belonging amongst the ‘Daddies’ out there to replace him.

It’s told in a trademark mix of contemporary choreography, theatrical storytelling and audiences participation. People justifiably get worried when they hear “audience participation” (we’ve all had jarring and invasive experiences). But I craft a space that is warm and consensual. The work is made for everyone from the avid volunteer to the person who prefers to lurk back and watch rather than participate. The work is full of humour and heart-breaking intimacy. We play together, those who want to get to dance with me. It’s poignant and silly at the same time. Oh and it’s very sexy!! And (without spoiling) the finale is glorious and very sticky!

What inspired it?

I was inspired by Ancient Greek myth of Tantalus who was condemned by the gods to spend an eternity hungry and thirsty with food and water just out of reach. As a human, as an Aboriginal person and as a Queer person, this feels very familiar! The work was also inspired by a desire to combat the argument that “colonisation is all in the past”. Me and my family and my community are still living with the consequences and realities of colonisation today - incarceration, poverty and third world diseases. And so I wanted to help audiences see how this has happened by sharing my family’s history in all its struggles and beauty. But I’m not interested in lecturing or wagging my finger. Instead Daddy creates a place of play and humour in which we can touch on these difficult topics in a safe and compassionate way.

How does it feel to be performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

eeeeek! I’m equal parts thrilled and terrified! It’s the biggest arts festival in the world. Daddy is a good show. I know that. Since we premiered in 2019, we have presented 13 seasons and over 100 shows all over Australia and Europe. We’ve had rave reviews and audiences line up in the foyer to share with me how it has touched them. The work has stood the test of time. But this is a new league! I’m doing 24 full length shows! Which is both amazing! And a little daunting for a 46 year old dancer...haha! But that means we’ll have time for word to get around about how good the show is. And I’ll be able to really dive in and inhabit the character and tweak the work for UK audiences as I go. That such a beautiful, rare opportunity. And Fringe audiences are so great - interested in interdisciplinary and experimental work, willing to play. I think this work is going to meet its perfect audience in Edinburgh. I’m looking forward to being in the maelstrom of it - seeing shows and meeting presenters and other artists at late night bars. I’ve packed my Berocca! Haha (do you folks have berocca!?)

What does it mean to be part of House of Oz this year?

it means everything! I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude that House of Oz would take a punt on this weird little Queer Aboriginal show. We could never have been able to take the risk of independently presenting. So this vote of confidence from HoO means so much to us.

What does it mean to bring your work to UK audiences?

I’m so excited to share this beautiful work with a UK audience for the first time. And especially in Scotland which is after all, England’s first Colony. So I think a lot of what I talk about in the show will really resonate.

What would you like UK audiences to know about Antipodean arts and culture right now?

There is a renaissance happening in Australia right now. Of contemporary First Nations arts and culture. For so long we have been pigeon-holed in the ethnographic - lap-laps, ochre and dot painting. But there is an explosion of intelligent, experimental work coming out of Aboriginal Australia right now that will challenge and delight UK audiences. And I see my work as a part of that wave. And right now, as the world faces the rise of fascism and ecological disaster, is the time to be tuning into First Nations voices. We have ancient knowledge of how to live in harmony with each other and with the land and seas around us. If the world can figure out how to learn and apply these lessons, we can surmount these challenges together.

7. What kind of support do artists need most when bringing work overseas?

Firstly mobility is so critical. Nationalism is on the rise and so we need to be sharing art with each other across national boundaries. But at a time of shrinking arts budgets, it’s international touring that is so often cut, just at a moment when it is more critical than ever. Because we travel from so far, Australian artists need to be able to line up coherent tours of their works - a number of presentation seasons in the UK and Europe in a minimal downtime between and with a geographic logic. This is hard to do when all the different venues and festivals are programming ad hoc. What would really help is for more collaboration between venues to work together to bring over and present Australian artists.

And this needs to be matched with more dedicated international touring funding from Australian funding bodies. Joel Bray Dance is a part of a consortium of Australian touring companies lobbying our government for this.

What's next for you after Edinburgh?

Immediately after? I am going to go and see a bit of Scotland outside of Edinburg. I’ll be pretty wrecked after 24 shows, so I’ll probably go read a book by a Loch somewhere! And then I am returning to melbourne. We are launching an exciting new project in Melbourne Fringe called Dhanda / Campfire. It is an beautifil installation inspired by a Campfire with seating around. It will have a beautiful sound score and will offer people a moment of stillness and solace in the of the city’s busyness. Each evening I will lead participants in a Sunset Ritual.