★★★★★
“When you really hold up a mirror and see who we truly are, we come from this beauty, we’re a reflection of this beauty, it walks in us, it’s in us, f***! How can you be ugly when you come from that.” Aunty Chantay Link
A traditional smoking ceremony heralded the opening night of the much-anticipated Ya’Djin Spirit Women after The First Creatives production premiered successfully in 2024.
A few rectangular white sheets, the only props in this sparse stage setting, float randomly from the rafters. These provide the backdrop for the unfolding scenes. The stage is a blank canvas seemingly waiting in anticipation for what is about to unfold.
A group of First Nations performers, young as well as mature, enter this minimalist space. Their demeanour is forlorn as they begin to don plain, ill-fitting white uniforms. Convincing choreography that emulates regular, mundane household chores – cooking, cleaning, sweeping – follows and sets the tone for the ensuing scenes.
Respected First Nations elders, Aunty Patience Link and Aunty Chantay Link are the storytellers on whose harrowing stories this courageous production is based. The snappily groomed Aunties appear on a square white sheet that is placed front and centre of the stage. It is an intimate prop – capturing the attention of the audience as the Aunties speak unflinchingly of the effects of their generational trauma.
On screen, the unwavering Aunties are committed to intermittently share with raw honesty and interspersed with humour their abuse, their dispossession, their loss of family, their motherhood, their fractured relationships and the unmitigated colonial violence they were forced to endure.
As each story unfolds, the cast members perform a riveting dance/theatre piece dedicated to the relevant subject matter.
The most compelling segment (there are several) is the retelling of motherhood through yet another stirring dance piece. Clad in colourful dresses, the dancers excelled in this retelling. The fear that your child could ‘be taken’ at any time unearths another level to becoming a First Nations mother who is under the control of colonialism.
The pain is palpable as the performers move through this deeply moving choreography. Enduring this sacred part of being a woman but without the support of your clan resonated deeply with this writer.
Costumes are simple but effective; brown cropped tops and matching shorts, dresses in colourful prints. Another highlight is the finale where each performer embodies their First Nations heritage adorned in traditional attire and participating in an ochre/coming of age ceremony.
Songs are pre-recorded and delivered in both language and English, the choice of language adding depth to the delivery of the compositions. A more contemporary rap version accompanied by captivating hip-hop moves creates an upbeat feel neatly juxtaposed against the seriousness of the unfolding stories.
Each performer, especially the younger ones, embody their respective onstage personas. Kudos to Sanaa Cobbo George, Aamilah Kindt and Amarli Ngere for their captivating interpretative performances.
Praise to Allirah Fisher (Artistic Director/Performer), Madison Fisher (Lead Choreographer/Performer) and Erika Jayne Goldsmith (Creative Producer/Performer) for being brave enough to shine a light where there is darkness. More importantly for bringing to life through song, film, dance and theatre, the extraordinary stories of strong-willed Aunty Chantay and Aunty Patience. Your delivery of their stories is flawless!
Ya’djin means ‘speak.’ It is a call to honour truth-telling. It is a commitment to create a pathway to healing, a healing that Australia so desperately needs in order to move forward from the past.
Ya’Djin Spirit Women not only ‘speaks’ loudly…It howls! It roars!
Ya’Djin Spirit Women is presented by The First Creatives and runs to 1 August as part of Clancestry. Cremorne Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), South Brisbane Qld 4000.
Tickets are available here.
Website: https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2026/clancestry-yadjin-spirit-women
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/atqpac/ and https://www.instagram.com/the.firstcreatives/
Photo credits: Red Handed Productions
