THE DEEP NORTH First African Australian Musical To Arrive At Adelaide Fringe

South Australian Playwrights Theatre presents The Deep North, the first African-Australian Musical.

A combination of hip hop, afro-beat, R'n'B, installation art, animation, theatre and multimedia, The Deep North is a celebration of the African Australian diaspora.

Developed by triple J Unearthed hip hop artist Gabriel 'DyspOra' Akon, renowned Adelaide MC Stephen Tongun, poet, dancer, singer Pontsho Nthupi and playwright Matt Hawkins (Frank Forbes and the Yahoo Boy), The Deep North tells the story of Jasmine Mutesa who has to choose between a scholarship at one of Adelaide's most prestigious schools and keeping her family from falling apart in Port Augusta. It is an entertaining and empowering story about finding your voice and the meaning of home.

Presented by South Australian Playwrights Theatre, a company committed to new theatrical work from diverse voices, The Deep North is the first production of its kind in Australia.

Director, Matt Hawkins explains: "It was important for us to provide an opportunity for African Australians to see themselves on stage and to present the rich and diverse stories of the African diaspora. The challenges of living across two, or more, countries and the development of hybrid cultures will be something to reflect upon and ultimately celebrate during the performance."

Hawkins' has worked as a playwright, screenwriter and TV producer in Ghana and Uganda and has also written extensively for theatre, film and TV in Australia. He worked intensively with the project's key artists through 2020 as well as composer James Bannah Jr to create a relevant and powerful piece of musical theatre.

"The fusion of past and present is a key aspect; the multimedia segments of the show aim to expose audiences to the historical context of several countries within the African continent, whilst the 'story' is set in contemporary South Australia. Storytelling devices drawn from African tradition are utilised, and these are presented alongside modern rap, poetry and music, to convey a narrative that considers what it means to be torn between different worlds."

Full details, dates, and bookings available at The Deep North | Adelaide Fringe.

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