Twenty-five years ago, just before the Sydney Olympics, Wesley Enoch’s Black Medea premiered at Sydney Theatre Company. Black Medea quickly became a key piece of the Australian theatre canon due to its unique collision of ancient tragedy and Indigeneity, including an exploration of intergenerational trauma and estrangement from Country. Black Medea was produced again in Australia in a lauded 2005 production at Belvoir and Malthouse, and now has a prolific legacy of productions all around the world. It is a mainstay on university syllabuses including within UQ Drama and UQ’s Western Civilisation programme.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the play, Emma Cole (UQ), Alastair Blanshard (UQ), and Daniel Hanigan (Cambridge) held a symposium to discuss the play and its connections to Greco-Roman antiquity, Australian Medeas, and race and classical reception. As part of this symposium Wesley Enoch joined Emma and Daniel in conversation to explore the production history of the play, its key themes, and its enduring legacy.
