Reclaiming Voice and Space: Aboriginal Self-Assertion in Jack Davis’s Kullark and The Dreamers

Abstract

Australian drama has undergone significant transformation since the colonial era, with the rise of Aboriginal theatre marking a crucial phase in reclaiming cultural identity and historical narrative. This theatre arose as a form of resistance and protest, using Indigenous cultural narrative to challenge the dominant white settler discourse that has long suppressed the Aboriginal voices in Australia. Jack Davis, a celebrated Nyoongah playwright from Western Australia, stands as a commanding voice in this movement. His plays focus on both white and Aboriginal audiences, underlining the need for self-definition, cultural assertion, and historical reparation. Understanding the fact that his works are written in the language of the white settlers, Davis strategically incorporates Indigenous music, myths, and language to destabilise colonial norms and celebrate Aboriginal identity. His theatre becomes a space where repressed histories and lived realities are enunciated with authenticity and urgency. This paper examines the key themes in Davis’s plays Kullark and The Dreamers, both of which reflect the enduring struggles of Aboriginal people to assert their place in a society that continues to challenge their existence.