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By Jo Higgins State of the Arts, 28 September 2005  "When people ask I'm going to say I'm English - I'm as much English as I am Indian. People are only interested in what's different." Georgina Naidu's autobiographical celebration of her modern Australian/Indian upbringing, her early penchant for dress-ups and fantasy and her passion for fantastic '80s music, leg warmers and performing is joyous and hilarious. Naidu has a natural gift for comedy, both verbally and physically - she is self-deprecating, ebullient and mischievous. Inhabiting her earlier self - at four, at 10 and in late adolescence, Naidu is charming, convincing and entirely sincere. Both re-enacting and recounting some of her earliest memories and experiences, a clever use of a screen backdrop allows for the incorporation of images and photographs into the performance. Footage from the eponymous Rawhide, starring Daniel Boone explains the origins of the self-given name ‘Yellowfeather' - a tribute to the only Indians the earnest Naidu could see on the TV. A rich fantasy life, a gift for storytelling and an ability to find fun in situations not immediately brimming with it allows Naidu to make Yellowfeather a "celebration". Without glossing over some of the incredibly hurtful, difficult and confronting encounters with stereotyping, racism and prejudice, Naidu uses these experiences as a vehicle and an opportunity to "laugh about and celebrate those difficult moments in life that help form who we are and guide us to where we'd like to be." A central feature to the production is the incorporation of live music, thanks to Indo-Fijian Australian, DJ Schmidti. Playing and mixing a fabulous series of '80s pop songs with Bollywood soundtracks, DJ Schmidti and Naidu keep the energy of this hour-long production bubbling along with the fabulous music which becomes almost another character. Yellowfeather follows Naidu from her early days as a four year old in love with Daniel Boone through to her breakthrough role as Phrani Gupta on ABC's hit show Seachange to today. Naidu's initial Seachange audition and complete bafflement at the mechanics of sari-wearing are just two of the comedic highlights of this production. Autobiographical theatre is proving to be a popular form of playwriting - I have David Page's Page 8 in mind and as Naidu herself says at the conclusion, there are many things not said - and many more that should be. For Naidu, as with Page, theatre again proves that it can be as cathartic and instructive as it can be magical. |
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