Murrun returns to the watering hole; the same one her Aunty Aggie used to take her to.  The sacred one.  Where past and present collide. 

Gunawarra Re-creation by Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) woman Isobel Morphy-Walsh is a powerful story of culture, memory and women’s healing.

Drawing on the traditional Kulin story of Gunawarra, the black swan and how it came to have black feathers, the play unfolds with spirit, strength and song in a profound work of contemporary theatre, breathing new life into the lifelong stories of the Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) people.

This new 2026 season is led by award-winning Artistic Director Andrea James (Yorta Yorta and Gunaikurnai woman), marking her directorial debut with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company following an incredible opening season at Melbourne Theatre Company in 2024 under the directorship of Dr Rachael Maza AM (Yidinji, Meriam).

This powerful production is more than theatre – it is a transfer of ancestral energy, woven with care, pride and deep cultural memory highlighting the strength, authority and wisdom carried by Blak women, and their extraordinary capacity to heal.

‘A poignant exploration of pain, grief, healing and the myriad ways in which we process these complex emotions’ ★★★★ — Arts Hub. 

‘The interplay of score, soundscapes and lighting creates a dynamic atmosphere that balances tension and tenderness, guiding viewers through the narrative with grace.’ – Arts Hub 

‘Elegantly layered into a family history of three generations of women’ — The Age.  

Gunawarra Re-Creation is proud to be part of the NAIDOC Week — 50 Years of Deadly calendar.

Gunawarra Re-Creation was developed through the ILBIJERRI Blackwrights Program with the support of City of Melbourne, Bowden Marstan Foundation, Equity Trustees and InPlace. It premiered at Blak in the Room in partnership with Melbourne Theatre Company.

Gunawarra Re-creation was originally co-produced with Melbourne Theatre Company as part of Blak in the Room 2024.

2026 Tour

Meet the writer
Isobel Morphy-Walsh

Isobel Morphy-Walsh, a proud Nirim Baluk woman from the Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) people. Isobel is a mutli-disciplinary artists spanning both visual art and performance art, a weaver, a curator, a producer, an activist and an educator. Isobel has spent her life working with her community and our cultures with a particular emphasis on history, culture, country and its importance today.

Isobel comes from storytellers and weavers and continues both of those practises herself through her own contemporary and creation story-telling, singing and dramatic performance. Indeed Isobel Launched her first production combining her whole family skills in song, dance and story, 'Gunga-na Dhum Nganinju' (The stories we hold tightly) in 2023 as part of Yiramboi Festival.

Isobel’s visual arts practise is wide ranging and includes many mediums; weaving, lino printing, painting, fabric creation, woodwork, cultural objects and adornments and more recently working with metals. Her artwork can be found in state collections, over walls she passes, on the bodies of people she knows and in Heathcote as public Art. Many a yarn, spoken word and song can be heard in her presence. Both can be found on the internet.