The Red Dust 红尘
FEATURED ON CHANNEL 7’s SUNRISE 2020
Sydney in the near future.
The climate has reached a tipping point, and a red dust storm, blown in from the central desert, covers the city.
Fourteen-year-old Talia spends her afternoons daydreaming on social media while she waits for her climate scientist mother to return from the Blue Mountains. Days pass, and still her mother doesn’t return. As Talia travels across the devastated landscape to find her, she begins to realise that seeing through hóng chén 红尘 — the red dust of living — might be more important to saving the earth than she ever dreamed.
THE RED DUST 红尘 is an intercultural, and intergenerational show for all ages. Loosely based on THE RED SHOES by Hans Christian Andersen, it’s a lyrical, music, and theatre performance written by Nicole W. Lee, directed by Nate Gilkes, and produced by Marian St Theatre for Young People.
The first production of THE RED DUST 红尘 ran from July 13th-16th 2022 at Ku-Ring-Gai Town Hall with the following cast and creatives:
PERFORMERS:
MSTYP Young Artists: Robyn Clarke, Jules Pek-Lowther, Tara Choo, Sophia Cheung, Sofia Garofalo, Lucinda Henkel, Emma Llewelyn-Jones, Isabella Tesoriero, and Jesse Withford-Cave; with Lucy Huang as Ma
CASS Gordon Troupe Dancers: Chen Shu Qing 陈树青, Gao Yan 高雁, Cai Mei Hua 蔡妹华, Zhou Shan Shan 周珊珊, Pan Yan Fen 潘燕芬, Lin Qun You 林群友, Sun Yi Xian 孙奕宪, Xu Hong Ye 徐红叶, Li Jian Nong 李建农, Che Qi Ming 车绮明, Lin Rui Ling 林瑞玲, and Tang Jian Ying 唐建英
Musicians: Dr. Nicholas Ng (erhu, guzheng, hulusi), Ethan Teuma (didgeridoo, drums), Nathan Gilkes (keyboards, backing vocals)
CREATIVES:
Written by: Nicole W. Lee
Music by: Nathan Gilkes and Dr. Nicholas Ng
Director: Nathan Gilkes
Movement Director/Choreographer: Jia-Wei Zhu
Lighting Design: Ben Brockman
Translation and Language Consultant: Professor Jing Han
Assistant Director: Alexandra Sharps
Stage Manager: Amber Spooner
Assistant Stage Manager: Hayley Armsworth
Sound Operator: Angus Kelman-Smith
Surtitle Programmer and Operator: Olivia Dorgan
MSTYP General Manager: Lee Johnston
Produced with assistance from Ku-ring-gai Council, The Institute for Australian and Chinese Arts and Culture (IAC) at Western Sydney University, the Chinese Australian Services Society (CASS), SBW Foundation, NBS Home loans, and Wahroonga Rotary.
Stills photography by Noni Carroll
2020 ‘The Red Dust’ Development
StoryCasters: Artist Spotlight with Nicole W. Lee