A confronting Central Australian play that challenges us to change our understanding of indigenous history has taken out a prestigious Deadly Award in the ‘Most Outstanding Achievement in Theatre’ category.

Ngapartji Ngapartji’s co-creator and key performer Trevor Jamieson, and Director and Writer, Scott Rankin accepted the award tonight in Sydney.

Ngapartji Ngapartji, Pitjantjatjara for “I give you something, you give me something” tells the true story of the Spinifex people (a clan of the Pitjantjatjara people) of the Western desert who were moved off their lands to make way for British atomic testing carried out between 1953 and 1965.

Test sites in the arid rangelands of South Australia remain uninhabitable for the next 250,000 years, after bombs almost the size of the Hiroshima were dropped there.

Trevor Jamieson said, “I am immensely proud of this play. Its evolution over a nine year period has seen hundreds of people, both indigenous and non-indigenous; explore new ways of working together.”

Jamieson is a Spinifex man himself, so the story is personal. A talented performer and experienced film and stage actor, his performances include Plain Song by David Whitton for Black Swan Theatre Company, Crying Baby for the Marrugeku Theatre Company/Stalker Theatre Company production in Darwin in 2000 and Deck Chair Theatre Company’s production of King for this Place by Neil Murray.

Since 2006, Ngapartji Ngapartji has sold out to a national audience of 30,000 with standing ovations at every performance.

Jamieson also acknowledged the support of writer and director, Scott Rankin with whom he collaborated to make the play a reality.

Rankin, National Creative Director of Big hART, is known for his work in comedy, mainstream theatre, experimental community based projects, film and television. His work has been included in Tasmania, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Edinburgh Festivals and his plays have set box office records and received exceptional reviews.

In 1992 Scott Rankin co-established BIG hART Inc and since then he has initiated, mentored and/or created over 20 productions with the company – working primarily with disadvantaged people in regional, rural and isolated areas of Australia.

The ground breaking play has also founded a world-first on-line Indigenous language program.

 Over 350 people have enrolled in the on-line learning site, which is hailed as a model prototype by linguists. http://ninti.ngapartji.org

 Ngapartji Ngapartji’s success recently culminated in Alice Springs, with performances in front of a home audience.