I, BUNYIP

ERTH launched their production I, Bunyip as part of the Sydney Children’s Festival 2011. A unique performance of puppets, visual effects and multi-media that takes audiences deep inside the mysterious heart of Australian imaginings with an inimitable cast of unique Australian characters brought to life on stage.

Children and adults are introduced to authentic stories, passed down in Indigenous communities for hundreds of years. Developed in consultation with five different Aboriginal communities around the country, I, Bunyip is a rare chance to meet very real characters from Australia’s oldest stories with one of the country’s most exciting performing arts companies.

Playfully named after the classic 1935 novel, I, Claudius by Robert Graves, the show seeks to record, explore and relate the stories of Indigenous groups that have never before been shared.

“Many people have shared European fables and fairytales to their kids. Of the Indigenous creatures that are of a similar ilk, there is a great misconception that these are mythological creatures, therefore they are perceived in the same way as werewolves, fairies or trolls, as creatures that may have existed a long time ago but don’t exist anymore.

The truth is, these characters are very genuine and present in our history and it is important for today’s children – and indeed Australians of all ages — to discover these incredible, authentic stories. Even today, the creatures that feature in I, Bunyip are feared and revered in Aboriginal communities.

These stories are part of people’s lives, the fabric of their communities and identity. We are privileged to have learnt and been given permission to share these special stories."

Scott Wright, Artistic Director, ERTH