Wikipedia

Trevor Jamieson

Trevor Jamieson (born 7 March 1975) is an Aboriginal Australian stage and film actor, playwright, dancer, singer and didgeridoo player.

Trevor Jamieson
Born (1975-03-07) 7 March 1975 (age 49)
Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
OccupationActor
Years active1994–present
RelativesNatasha Wanganeen (cousin)
AwardsDeadly Awards 2008: Most Outstanding Achievement in Film, TV or Theatre for Ngapartji Ngapartji
Sydney Theatre Awards 2008, Best Actor in a Lead Role 2008

Early life

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Trevor Jamieson was born on 7 March 1975 in Subiaco, Western Australia (WA).[1][2]

He grew up in the Western Australian Goldfields region, mostly around Kalgoorlie, Esperance, and Norseman, but his people are mostly of the Central Desert, in particular Nullarbor and Maralinga. He has links to Pitjantjara (on his father's side[3]), Kukatja, and other groups, including the Noongar peoples of south-western WA[4] (on his mother's side). His mother was removed from his grandmother by missionaries soon after birth, so as a child he learnt more about his father's side. His father and his grandfather were policemen.[3]

His aunt, Lynette Markle, is the niece of playwright Jack Davis, so he was exposed to drama at an early age, and enjoyed being in a play at school. Thinking about signing up as a constable at the end of 1992, Markle persuaded him to go for an audition, which led to the first step in his career - a role in the stage musical Bran Nue Dae, which toured nationally.[3]

He is a cousin of South Australian actress Natasha Wanganeen[5] and an uncle of actor Clarence Ryan, whom he met while filming Lockie Leonard, where they play father and son.[6]

Career

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Jamieson is an actor,[7] dancer,[8] singer,[4] playwright,[9] and didgeridoo player.[1]

Stage

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Jamieson's first stage performance was in the touring producing of Bran Nue Dae[3] in 1993. In 1994 he acted in Wild Cat Falling at the Downstairs Theatre at the Belvoir in Sydney.[10] In 1996 he was in Corrugation Road, another musical by Jimmy Chi, this time set in a mental hospital.[11]

He co-wrote The Career Highlights of the MAMU with Scott Rankin, staged in 2002.[12] This was a dramatisation of the impact of the British nuclear testing at Maralinga, South Australia between 1956 and 1963 on the Indigenous Australians in the region, who were known as the Spinifex people. A video recording was made of the production performed by Black Swan Theatre Company at the Kampnagel theatre in Hamburg, Germany in August 2002.[9] The play was directed by Andrew Ross of Black Swan, and performed at the 2002 Adelaide Festival and the Octagon Theatre at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in May–June 2002, before touring to Mandurah, Margaret River, and Esperance.[12]

He was co-creator of Ngapartji Ngapartji, with Big hART's creative director Scott Rankin.[13] This was a language revitalisation and community development project started in 2005 and which developed into a stage performance as an offshoot. In the theatrical production, Jamieson narrates his family's story.[13] It was performed at the Sydney Opera House[14] and evolved over the years, with performances around the country with changes of cast and script.Ngapartji Ngapartji has toured Australia extensively in between 2005 and 2008 with the show undergoing various developments throughout its production history. In 2012, the show was revived in Canberra in a condensed version under the name Ngapartji Ngapartji One, but Jamieson was not in the cast that year as he was touring with another Big hART production, Namatjira.[15]

In 2012–13 Jamieson played the artist Albert Namatjira in Namatjira, in a performance that was another offshoot of a community project by Big hART, written and directed by Scott Rankin. The play was seen by over 48,000 Australians at its performances at Belvoir and Riverside Theatre Parramatta (Sydney), Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne, and many other theatres on its regional tour of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, before touring to London, where it played at the Southbank Centre in November. The play won the 2012 Helpmann Award for Best Regional Touring Production.[7]

In 2013 he took the role of Fingerbone Bill in a stage production of Storm Boy by Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company, based on the 1964 novel by Colin Thiele.[16][3]

In 2014, Jamieson worked with the Black Arm Band theatre company in a musical theatre production called Dirtsong[17] which closed the 2014 Adelaide Festival on 16 March 2014.[18] The performers, who included Jamieson, Archie Roach, Lou Bennett, Emma Donovan and many other singers and musicians, sang songs with lyrics by writer Alexis Wright, with some sung in Aboriginal languages.[19] The performance included both contemporary and traditional songs, and had premiered five years earlier at the 2009 Melbourne International Arts Festival, with Jamieson not in the original cast.[20]

In 2016, Jamieson participated in a multicultural dance presentation, along with Indian dancers Isha Shavani and Tao Issaro, other Aboriginal dancers, and Maori dancers. The performance was called Kaya, meaning "hello", and it toured regional WA, including Kalgoorlie, before premiering in Perth at the Dolphin Theatre at UWA.[21]

In May 2022 Jamieson played Dugald in a revival of the opera Voss, a co-production by State Opera South Australia and Victorian Opera.[22] Originally scheduled to be performed in Melbourne in August 2021,[23] owing to a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the season was cancelled and rescheduled to a single performance at the Adelaide Festival Theatre.[24] The production was well-reviewed, with two critics giving it four out of five stars.[25][23]

Jameieson acted in the 2013 and 2016 productions of Andrew Bovell's The Secret River.[10] For the 2017 production at Anstey Hill Quarry for the Adelaide Festival, he arranged the music. The co-production of the State Theatre Company of South Australia and the Sydney Theatre Company, co-directed by Neil Armfield and Geordie Brookman.[26] was a record-breaking success, playing to full houses over 18 nights.[27]

Jamieson's performance in Jada Alberts' Brothers Wreck (2016) was praised.[28][29] The topic (Indigenous youth suicide) was one for which Jamieson could draw on his own life experiences.[30]

Film and TV

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In 2009, an episode of Message Stick on ABC Television, called "Spinifex Man", was aired. Filmmaker Allan Collins talks to Jamieson about his life and work in the program.[2]

Jamieson portrayed Fingerbone Bill in the 2019 film Storm Boy, released on 17 January 2019.[16] He loved the 1976 film and especially idolised David Gulpilil (who played Fingerbone Bill), so playing the character in both the stage version in 2013 and this film was a dream come true for him. He consulted Ngarrindjeri / Kaurna elder Moogy Sumner on the singing, dancing, and other cultural protocols, and worked with a Ngarrindjeri linguist to get the language right, as he was representing Ngarrindjeri people in the film, which was shot on Ngarrindjeri country.[31][a][3]

Other roles

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In 2021, Jamieson was an ambassador for the Revelation Perth International Film Festival.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2002 Rabbit-Proof Fence Moore River Policeman Feature film
2006 Weewar Weewar Short film
2007 Done Dirt Cheap Amos Short film
2009 3 Acts of Murder Lary Dooley TV movie
2009 Bran Nue Dae Roebuck Hotel Dancer / Listen to the News Dancer Feature film
2013 Around the Block Uncle Rex Feature film
2016 Boys in the Trees Man in white Feature film
2018 Kwongkan Sand Elder Feature film
2018 Yulubidyi - Until The End Thunder / Mamu Short film
2018 Thalu: Dreamtime is Now Mingkala (voice) Feature film
2019 Storm Boy Fingerbone Bill Feature film
2019 A Small Punch in a Little Town Warragul Feature film[31]
2023 Run Rabbit Run Sandy Feature film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1994 Heartland Nobby 2 episodes
1998 Kings in Grass Castles Boontamurra Youth Miniseries 2 episodes
2009 The Circuit Bill 1 episode[33]
2007-2010 Lockie Leonard Rev. Egg 36 episodes[3]
2011 My Place Father 1 episode
2015 The Secret River Grey Beard (Gumang) Miniseries, 2 episodes[3]
2016 Cleverman Uncle Max 5 episodes[3]
2018 Black Comedy Guest cast 5 episodes

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
1991 Honey Pot Cousin William Esperance, WA
1993 Bran Nue Dae Willie Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company, Regal Theatre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company
1994 Wild Cat Falling Belvoir Street Theatre
1995 Subi Shorts Program 1: Family Running for Mr Whippy / The Price of Prayer / Darling Oscar Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company
1995 Subi Shorts Program 2: Great Debbil Dingo / Buried / Slam Dunk Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company
1996–98 Corrugation Road Barry Canberra Theatre for National Festival of Australian Theatre, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne for Melbourne International Arts Festival, Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth, Playhouse Adelaide, Playhouse Theatre, Perth, Monash University with Black Swan State Theatre Company
1997 The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea Mrs Vinegar / Les / Reg Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company
1999 King for this Place Don Deck Chair Theatre
2000 Plainsong Black Swan State Theatre Company
2000–02 Crying Baby Darwin Festival with Marrugeku Theatre Co, Quarry Amphitheatre, Perth, Earagail Arts Festival, Donegal, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Technology Park, Sydney for Sydney Festival with Stalker Theatre Company
2002 The Career Highlights of the MAMU Writer Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with Black Swan State Theatre Company for Adelaide Festival, Kampnagel theatre in Hamburg, Germany, Octagon Theatre at the University of Western Australia, Mandurah, Margaret River, and Esperance, Western Australia.
2004 Yandy Storyteller Octagon Theatre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company
2006 Anangu Backyard Adelaide Arts Centre with Big hART
2006–09 Ngapartji Ngapartji Narrator / Creator Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse Theatre, Perth, Dreaming Festival Site, Woodford, Artspace, Adelaide, Belvoir Street Theatre, Ernabella, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, Space Theatre, Adelaide with Big hART
2008 Salamanca Broome, WA with Stalker Theatre Company
2007 Long Black Lab workshop
2009–10 Nyuntu Ngali (You We Two) Petrol (Narrator) Space Theatre, Adelaide, Wharf 2 Theatre, Sydney with Windmill Performing Arts & Sydney Theatre Company
2009 Burning Daylight Goolarri Outdoor Venue, Broome, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Carriageworks, Arts House Meat Market, Melbourne, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart with Marrugeku Company & Stalker Theatre Company
2010–11 Waltzing the Wilarra Charlie Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth with Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre
2010–13 Namatjira Albert Namatjira Belvoir Street Theatre Sydney, Riverside Theatre Parramatta, Rotterdam, Holland, Malthouse Theatre Melbourne, Canberra Theatre Centre, Theatre North, Launceston, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Adelaide Festival Centre, Australian regional tour & Southbank Centre, London with Big hART
2011 As You Like It Adam & Duke Senior Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney
2012 Ngapartji Ngapartji Narrator / Creator Playhouse, Canberra, Canberra Theatre Centre with Big hART
2013 Storm Boy Fingerbone Bill Wharf 1 Theatre & Perth with Sydney Theatre Company & Barking Gecko Theatre Company
2013–14 Hipbone Sticking Out John Pat Canberra Theatre Centre, Playhouse, Melbourne with Big hART
2013, 2016, 2017 The Secret River Ngalamalum Roslyn Packer Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company for Sydney Festival, Playhouse Canberra, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth for Perth Festival, Playhouse QPAC, Brisbane, Anstey Quarry Adelaide for Adelaide Festival
2014 Dirtsong Black Arm Band for Adelaide Festival
2014 20 Questions Guest artist Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney
2016 Kaya Dancer Kalgoorlie, Dolphin Theatre UWA, Perth
2017–18 The Season Senior Ranger Richard Sydney Opera House with Sydney Festival, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Melbourne Festival, Hopgood Theatre Adelaide
2017 Coranderrk Narrator / Performer Canberra Theatre Centre with Ilbijerri Theatre Company & Belvoir Theatre Company for NORPA
2018 Brothers Wreck David, the Counsellor Odeon Theatre, Adelaide, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with STCSA
2020 Jeremy Online - Australia with STCSA
2020 Max Online - Australia with STCSA
2022 Voss Dugald Festival Theatre, Adelaide with State Opera of South Australia & Victorian Opera

[34]

Awards & nominations

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Year Title Award Category Result
2008 Ngapartji Ngapartji Sydney Theatre Awards Best Actor in a Lead Role Won[35]
2008 Ngapartji Ngapartji Sydney Theatre Awards Best Mainstage Production Nominated
2008 Ngapartji Ngapartji Deadly Awards 2008 Most Outstanding Achievement in Film, TV and Theatre Won[13]
2008 Ngapartji Ngapartji Deadly Awards 2008 Best Script Nominated
2010 Namatjira Sydney Theatre Awards Best Leading Man Nominated[1]
2020 Ayaan South Australian Screen Awards Best Male Performance Won
2020 Ayaan St Kilda Short Film Festival Best Actor Nominated
2021 A Small Punch in a Littie Town Northern Virginia International Film & Music Festival Festival Award for Best Acting Ensemble Nominated
2021 A Small Punch in a Littie Town Hollywood Dreamz International Film Festival Outstanding Cast Performance Feature Nominated

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Sumner often represents Kaurna people too.[32]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Trevor Jamieson". Revelation Perth International Film Festival. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Spinifex Man (2009) - The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Jamieson, Trevor (16 January 2019). "A chat with Trevor Jamieson". The Real (Interview). Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Dirtsong" (audio). The Wire. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  5. ^ Vann-Wall, Silvi (1 June 2022). "Natasha Wanganeen on Bunker, The Last Fleet: 'Sci-fi films saved my life'". ScreenHub Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  6. ^ "WA actor and Flickerfest star Trevor Jamieson on the unique power of storytelling". X-Press Magazine - Entertainment in Perth. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b Blake, Elissa (10 September 2013). "Play's journey drawn from life". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2017. The award-winning play, simply titled Namatjira, features one of Australia's leading indigenous actors Trevor Jamieson in the title role,...
  8. ^ "Cultures collide in new dance performance in Perth". ABC News. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  9. ^ a b Jamieson, Trevor; Rankin, Scott; Black Swan Theatre Company; Laokoon Festival (August 2002 : Kampnagel, Hamburg) (2002), The career highlights of the Mamu : Black Swan Theatre Company, Laokoon Festival 2002, Kampnagel, Hamburg, August 2002 (catalogue entry for videorecording), Corporate Image Productions, retrieved 19 October 2022, "The career highlights of the Mamu" was written by Trevor Jamieson and Scott Rankin. This production was performed at the Laokoon Festival, 2002 at Kampnagel, Hamburg.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ a b "Trevor Jamieson". AusStage. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Corrugation Road". AusStage. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  12. ^ a b Grehan, H (2003), "Play review: Recovering histories of joy and sorrow in The Career Highlights of the MAMU" (catalogue entry), Trove, University of Western Australia. Centre for Western Australian History, retrieved 20 October 2022
  13. ^ a b c Ben Hermann (17 July 2012). "Ngapartji Ngapartji One". BMA Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2013. Written by Jamieson and Big hART's Creative Director Scott Rankin, the production was awarded the 2008 Deadly Award for Most Outstanding Achievement in Film, TV and Theatre...
  14. ^ "Indigenous Theatre Heads for Sydney Opera House". ABC News. 23 October 2006. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  15. ^ Diana Streak (14 July 2012). "Memories of atomic horror". Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012.
  16. ^ a b "Trevor Jamieson's film dream comes true as Fingerbone Bill in Storm Boy". Perth Now. Community News. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Dirtsong" (audio). The Wire. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  18. ^ McDonald, Patrick (17 March 2014). "Adelaide Festival review 2014: Dirtsong – Black Arm Band". Adelaide Now.
  19. ^ Johnson, Dash Taylor (16 March 2014). "Black Arm Band: dirtsong". InDaily. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Dirtsong". AustLit. 24 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  21. ^ Hamlyn, Charlotte (12 October 2016). "Collaborative performance features dancers from Indian, Maori and Aboriginal cultures". ABC News. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Voss (2022)". State Opera South Australia. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  23. ^ a b Carroll, Diana (9 May 2022). "Opera review: Voss". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  24. ^ "Voss". Victorian Opera. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  25. ^ Angus, Brian (8 May 2022). "Richard Meale's Voss revived in all its brilliance in Adelaide". Bachtrack. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  26. ^ "The Secret River". AusStage. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  27. ^ Cameron, Ben (31 March 2017). "The rags-to-riches tale behind Anstey Hill quarry, spectacular stage of Adelaide Festival's record-breaking The Secret River". Adelaide Now. Messenger. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  28. ^ Brindley, Michael (23 June 2018). "Brothers Wreck". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 20 October 2022. The great Trevor Jamieson is calm and measured, but somewhat wasted in a role in which his 'client' refuses to open up, and hints about his past get only passing mention.
  29. ^ Edwards, David (16 June 2018). "Brothers Wreck (Malthouse) - theatre review". The Blurb. Retrieved 20 October 2022. Trevor Jamieson is strong as Ruben's level-headed counsellor...
  30. ^ Dexter, John (26 June 2018). "Brothers Wreck picks up the pieces". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 20 October 2022. Trevor Jamieson, a formidable performing talent, writer and dancer in his own stead... and for Jamieson it reflects some of his own life experiences.
  31. ^ a b Jamieson, Trevor (14 January 2019). "Interview: Trevor Jamieson". Cinema Australia (Interview). Interviewed by Eeles, Matthew. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  32. ^ Strathearn, Peri (6 July 2021). "Ngarrindjeri elder Major 'Moogy' Sumner wins NAIDOC Week award". Murray Bridge News. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  33. ^ The Circuit at IMDb
  34. ^ "AusStage".
  35. ^ "2008". Sydney Theatre Awards. 4 March 2016. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
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