The Line - Development

Palawa playwright Nathan Maynard’s, THE LINE, co-directed by Dr Rachael Maza AM, is a darkly-humorous theatrical retelling of the Black War (1804-30) in Lutruwita/Tasmania. Combining puppetry, live film, movement and text, the work captures the legacy of the Black Line, a brutal colonial campaign that continues to shape Palawa identity and survival.

Created in association with Performing Lines and collaborating partners Terrapin Puppet Theatre, Belvoir and The University of Melbourne this is a nationally significant story anchored in place, resistance and creative sovereignty, with truth-telling at its core. 

Historically, The Black Line – as it was known – involved 2,200 soldiers, settlers and convicts, who were assembled as part of a military campaign by the British. Together they became a human chain which crossed the districts of Lutruwita, intimidating, capturing, and displacing Aboriginal People. The Black War remains the largest domestic military offensive in Australian history, and was a genocide often misrepresented for its lasting legacy of destruction.

Nathan Maynard’s provocative reimagining of this event carries us between times. Harnessing the power of production and technology to draw parallels between contemporary issues and their historical origins.

Through highlighting the ongoing effects of the Black War on the Palawa people, The Line prospects a way forward. Dismantling structures with a timely, passionate story that speaks to the truth of this country and celebrates First Peoples extraordinary resilience and strength.

The Line is created in association with Performing Lines and collaborating partners Terrapin Puppet Theatre, Belvoir and The University of Melbourne. The Line is supported by the Equity and Empowerment Program, Creative Australia, The Indigenous Languages and Arts (ILA) program, CAIAF, RISING, Ten Days on the Island and Sydney Festival.