$5.40 – $10.00
Reflecting Indigenous peoples’ prior and on-going ownership of the land Melbourne stands on we have Melbourne ‘suburb’ of ‘Birrarung’, meaning river of mists (the Yarra).
This play is set on the Melbourne tramway system (a modern river of transportation) and in the secret chambers of Flinders Street Station (by the side of the Yarra).
In this comic and poignant magical-realist piece, an ancient Aboriginal warrior in a possum skin cloak is confronted by a motley crew of ticket inspectors on a tram. Back at their headquarters he whisks them away on a magical journey through the dusty old ballroom above the terminus and into the forever zone.
This piece was commissioned by White Whale Theatre in 2008 writers as part of Melburnalia No. 2. Five writers were asked to produce a 20-minute piece about a specific slice of life in a Melbourne suburb.
You can preview the full online text with a Membership
Female | 20s | under 3 minutes
Starts on page 10
EXTRACT: I'm cursed! My whole family have spent generations working in public transport. My great-grandfather back home he dragged a rickshaw round the village. My grandfather he drove the bus - an overcrowded shitbox full of villagers and their chickens going to market. When we came over here my dad he drives taxis. My uncle he drives trains. My auntie she was a conductor. Remember the tram conductors?? Where are they all going, these people? Coming and going. To-ing and fro-ing. Not you! You were different. Not the average fare evader. I could spot that a mile off.
Adult languageA 2009 article in which Fiona Gruber looks at the White Whale Theatre production ///Melburnalia No. 2///, which commissioned five short plays set in different Melbourne suburbs. One of these plays was ///The Forever Zone/// by Andrea James.
Media release for the 2009 production ///Melbournalia No. 2/// entitled ///Melting Pot Melbourne in the Spotlight: Melburnalia No. 2 Plays On the City’s Diversity./// It features information about Andrea James's ///The Forever Zone///, one of the five short plays that were commissioned for the project.
reccomended
PLEASE NOTE: This page contains links to files that have been sourced, and websites that are maintained by other businesses and organisations. Please refer to our terms of use.
PLEASE NOTE: You will be directed to AusStage.edu.au for search results; Australian Plays Transform is not responsible for their completeness. Refer to our terms of use.