From Campfire to Stage Light premiered as part of the 2022 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF).  It is the story of the incredible life of First Nations (Ewamian and Western Yalanji) performer David Bindi Hudson. Conceived by Hudson and written with Cindy Hudson and Kathryn Ash, the performance is directed by acclaimed Aboriginal director Isaac Drandic, with music and lyrics by Hudson, Nereace and Nigel Pegrum.

David Bindi Hudson in From Campfire to Stage Light, JUTE Theatre Company. Photo © Paul Furse

Hudson paints a vivid picture of his life using his voice, body, yidaki (“the ancient voice of the future”), guitar and accompanying musicians on drums and piano keyboard.  The set is simple but gently effective. The performer is positioned at the very front of the stage in a round space, in effect a firepit (a campfire created by lighting). Real campfire smoke wafts from a wooden vessel. A backdrop of jagged corrugated iron functions as a screen upon which photographic images and film are projected.

The structure of the play is simple: a chronological unfolding of important life events from childhood until 2005. (Significant personal and professional...