The Line

On October 7th, 1830 more than 2,200 soldiers and settlers reported to seven pre-arranged locations across “Van Dieman’s” land to execute the largest domestic military operation in Australian history. The plan—to form a human chain across the entire island, advancing gradually to forcefully displace Palawa people—later became known as ‘The Black Line’. In this major new work, award-winning Trawlwoolway and Palawa playwright Nathan Maynard shines an unflinching light on the violence that stretches from the Frontier Wars through to the present. As ‘The Black Line’ cuts across the country, widowed settler Jane and her Palawa servant Muka find themselves in the eye of the storm brewing around them. Living on a remote property, their volatile yet symbiotic relationship will be pushed to extremes. While anchored in the past, Maynard’s propulsive and ambitious show is far from a simple period piece: it leaps and loops across time, Country, and form. Prepare for a journey that is at once playful, devastating, and transformational. Co-directed by Maynard and Dr Rachael Maza AM, THE LINE weaves immense historical and contemporary weight into a work of deft, defiant black comedy. THE LINE is anything but straight.