Young actor Breythe left Kalgoorlie dreaming of a dazzling career.
Now he's found himself starring in a controversial Australia Day ad that pays big, but draws the ire of his mob. Racism is subtle but persistent in an industry where directors request he darken up for 'authenticity' and typecast him as 'tracker,' 'drinker' or 'thief'.
Returning home, Breythe's just as alienated from country and lore. His cultural capital distances him from furious brother Mateo and activist sister Carina, all of them struggling with regret and responsibility after their father's death.
City of Gold is Meyne Wyatt's howl of rage at the injustice, inequality and willful amnesia of this country's 21st century. The global Black Lives Matter movement and more Deaths in Custody in Australia show not enough has changed. This is still an urgent and necessary play for our times from a vital voice.
MEYNE WYATT is an award-winning Wongutha-Yamatji writer, director and performer. City of Gold is Meyne’s debut play. It was shortlisted for the 2020 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Drama. At the 2020 Sydney Theatre Awards, City of Gold was nominated for Best New Australian Work and Meyne won Best Male Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in the play. In 2022, Meyne published his first children’s book, Maku, with Pan Macmillan, which he wrote and illustrated. In 2020, Meyne was awarded the Packing Room Prize in the Archibald Prize for his self-portrait. Meyne is developing City of Gold into a TV series with Bunya Productions and is under commission to write a new play for Sydney Theatre Company. Meyne’s first short film, which he wrote and will direct, is produced by Bunya Productions and supported by Screen Australia. Meyne wrote a one-hour episode for Netflix’s Heartbreak High and is writing an episode for season three of Total Control for the ABC. After graduating from NIDA as an actor, Meyne’s performance in Lachlan Philpott’s Silent Disco at Griffin Theatre Company earned him the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Newcomer. Meyne’s TV credits include The Broken Shore and Redfern Now, for which he earned nominations for Most Outstanding Newcomer at the 2014 Logie Awards and an AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama. From 2014 to 2016, Meyne appeared in Neighbours, making history as the first Indigenous actor to join the main cast. He has also appeared in Black Comedy, The Leftovers, Mystery Road, Les Norton and Preppers. For film, Meyne has featured in The Sapphires, The Turning and Strangerland.
| Cast Info | 1F, 10M, (doubling available) |
| Genres | Drama |
| Themes | Political/Social themes, Large Cast, First Nations |
| Audiences | Adult, Secondary: Years 10-12, Secondary: Years 7-9 |
| Extent | 80 |
| Edition | Standard |
| Size | 210 x 137mm |
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