Description
In the late 1800s, Australian ships arrived in the South Sea Islands. They took children off the beaches, thousands of men and women from the islands, and brought them back to work in North Queensland — to cut sugar cane. Then in 1901, under the White Australia Policy, most were sent back to the islands — but not necessarily back to the islands, they came from.
Through music, song, and adapted oral history, Behind the Cane tells the stories of the ‘blackbirded’. The story of the South Sea Islanders, those who left and those who stayed.
Developed from true stories of the Bowen community, Behind the Cane is an honest, powerful, and uplifting exploration of an important part of Australian history.
Production History
Behind the Cane was first performed at the Bowen Soundshell, Bowen on July 28, 2011, as part of Queensland Music Festival. The original production featured a cast of more than 100 actors, singers, dancers, and musicians from the Bowen community.
ISBN: 978 1 921390 44 9
Reviews
"If there is a negative here, it's the cast's regret that this project, which has involved so many, discovered Bowen's talented dancers, singers, and instrumentalists and reclaimed a community's history, is coming to an end."
— The Australian, 2011
Print-on-Demand (POD)
Print-On-Demand (POD) is a service Playlab offers to help cater to customers who prefers/needs to have a physical printout of a digital script. We can also provide the hardcopies to suit a variety of situations that includes rehearsals, studies and/or libraries to have on their shelves.
Please note that:
- POD Copies are charged at a flat rate of $9.00 each in addition to the digital price of the text (Not including sale prices).
- A POD copy is a thermal fastback binding copy as depicted in the pictures below, it is not the same as a standard hardcopy script offered by Playlab.
Photocopy Licences
A Photocopy Licence is required to make copies of any purchased digital play script. Should you wish to make additional copies for a cast to rehearse or a class to study, you will need to purchase the necessary licence by:
- Adding the Photocopy Licence to your shopping cart when you purchase a digital script. OR
- Downloading the ‘Photocopy Licence and POD Order Form’ below and returning it to Playlab digitally to info@playlabtheatre.com.au or via mail to PO Box 3701 South Brisbane B.C, 4101.
Photocopy Licence and POD Order Form
Please note:
- Photocopy Licences are not available for hardcopy scripts.
- Educational institutions covered by a Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licence should take note that their CAL licence only allows them to copy a maximum of one chapter or 10% of a script whether it is in digital or hardcopy format.
- A Photocopy Licence does not include the right to on-sell copies of the script printed under the licence.
- Playwrights receive royalties from the sale of licences.
