BLACK FACE WHITE MASK Plays Malthouse Theatre, July 12-14

Western Edge Youth Theatre and the Flemington Theatre Group present Black Face White Mask at Malthouse Theatre, Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 July 2012. The show is directed by Dave Kelman and Dave Cuong Nguyen and written by Flemington Theatre Group in collaboration with Dave Kelman and Dave Cuong Nguyen. It features actors Maki Issa, Soloman Salew, Daniel Hail Michael, Abraham Herasan, Damitu Edao, Mazna Komba and Munira Younis.

Following its sold out first performances at The Incinerator and Flemington Community Centre,Flemington Theatre Group's Black Face White Mask is coming to the Malthouse Theatre offering Melbourne theatre lovers an opportunity to experience a vital new work performed by a highly talented group of Afro-Australian actors. Black Face White Mask offers a fresh, funny and vibrant insight into the complex lives of young African Australians living in Melbourne's Western Suburbs. Vibrating with authenticity, Black Face White Mask is Melbourne with a distinctly African accent, a play that explores the complexity of the Afro-Australian experience with humour and subtlety, confounding expectations and confronting stereotypes.

Flemington Theatre Group is a unique ensemble of talented young actors who have emerged out of Western Edge Youth Arts long standing commitment to the Flemington community. A number of them have been acting since they were eight years old. The group is comprised of creator/performers Maki Issa, Soloman Salew, Daniel Hail Michael, Abraham Herasan, Damitu Edao, Mazna Komba and Munira Younis.

Flemington Theatre Group worked with Western Edge's experienced writer-director team of Dave Cuong Nguyen and Dave Kelman in devising the play, which provides new perspectives on the ever-shifting nature of Australian multiculturalism. Black Face White Mask follows the lives of seven young Afro-Australian men and women as they try to negotiate the challenges that life throws at them; coping with relationships, police racism, family expectations, and religious intolerances, while finding their own way in the world.

Flemington Theatre Group actor Soloman Salew said "We wanted the work to be funny and entertaining as well as telling people the truth about our lives."

Writer-director Dr Dave Kelman is the Artistic Director of the Education Program of Western Edge Youth Arts. Dave is a play-wright, director, actor and researcher whose professional life has been spent working with disadvantaged, culturally diverse communities in UK and Australia. Co-writer-director David Cuong Nguyen is a leading community theatre maker and award-winning playwright who creates edgy work with marginalised communities that is funny, original and hard-hitting.

Founded in 2006 and based in Footscray, Western Edge is a youth arts organisation that creates unique performances with marginalised culturally diverse communities in western Melbourne and beyond. Western Edge combines a commitment to artistic excellence with a mission to tell new and complex stories that reveal hidden truths about Australia.

Black Face White Mask is supported by City of Melbourne Arts Grant Program.

To book tickets, visit www.westernedge.org.au or phone The Malthouse box office at 03 9685 5111.

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