Director Wesley Enoch said the touring play Black Diggers was intended to celebrate a little-known side of the history of World War I. At least 1300 Indigenous men enlisted to fight in the conflict and the play, written by Tom Wright, used aspects of many of their lives to evoke the period and its people.
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Enoch said, "It's not one full narrative, but drops in and out of bits of different stories."
Its scenes range from a ribald soldier song about a tattooed lady to the Last Post played by bugle and didgeridoo.
Enoch said the play commemorated the centenary of Anzac at a time when World War I was no longer in living memory, Australia having no surviving veterans of the war, as well as highlighting the diversity present among servicemen.
"There were no formal records kept of Indigenous servicemen so we've had to rely on oral tradition as well as formal records."
But he hoped by highlighting the role played by Indigenous servicemen the play would encourage more families to come forward with their stories. The Australian War Memorial, one of the sources for the play, was keen to update and expand its records.
The nine Indigenous cast members range from 20-year-old Tibian Wyles to 74-year-old Uncle George Bostock, a decorated Vietnam War veteran.
Enoch said, "It's a very inspirational story to tell - I love that everybody else is finding it, too."
Canberra actor Trevor Jamieson, who has been touring with the play, said both his grandfathers served in World War I. He said one of the reasons Indigenous Australians enlisted to fight in World War I was to create equality in Australia – an equality that was not achieved when they returned and still had a long way to go.
"They wanted to go to war to change Australia. When they served with each other there was a huge bond of camaraderie. They looked after each other and never saw the blackness or whiteness of each other's skin."
And the actors in the show have formed a similar bond, Jamieson said.
"We're making sure we watch each other's backs."
Black Diggers is on at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, until Saturday, March 28 at 8pm with an 11am performance on Thursday and a 2pm performance on Saturday. Tickets $50-$85. Bookings: canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 62752700.
