Leading Aboriginal director Wesley Enoch and his team tackle an Australian theatre classic, Dorothy Hewitt’s 1979 play ‘The Man from Mukinupin’, with the score by Jim Cotter, in his current production upstairs at Belvoir Street theatre.

Hewitt’s play is set in the fictitious small West Australian wheat-belt town of Mukinupin during World War 1. Perky Polly Perkins, the General Store owner’s daughter is being pursued by two men; the no frills grocery man from Mukinupin, Jack Tuesday, and travelling lingerie salesman, Cecil Brunner. Polly loves Jack but when the sun sets it is Polly’s step sister, Lily, who meets Jack’s fantasy. Encased in a small town scenario in which Hewitt wove a light musical, her play exposed Australian society at the time, most of all the brutal racism that existed.

‘The Man from Mukinupin’ ( a place to muck up in) is a flamboyant kind of play, and this is the approach Enoch has taken. ‘We have imagined a 1950’s travelling troupe of white and black actors setting up camp on a salt pan plain to perform the show, a troupe of actors led by an old style actor/manager who creates a theatrical world of vaudeville and Weill-inspired numbers to tell a story’. As the story unfolds, in a very indigenous way of storytelling, a camp fire in the middle of the stage, smouldered.

Enoch’s approach is an inspired one, and his troupe revel in it. Many in the cast played multiple roles with memorable energy and flair; Craig Annis as brothers Jack and Harry Tuesday showed off a great voice, Suzannah Bayes-Morton’s displayed her versatility by playing both sweet natured Polly and the town’s bike, step sister, Lily, Max Gillies was the General Store owner,as well as the eccentric, star gazing Zeek Perkins, and David Page was lingerie salesman, Cecil, hammy performer, Max Montebello, and the Flasher.

Music was a driving force in the production. Musical director Alan John, along with Daryl Wallis, played away at the fringe of the stage on a variety of instruments including the piano, organ, tuba and double bass. In one of the play’s highlights, they were joined, at one time, by one of the cast, Valentina Levkowicz (Clemmy Hummer), who did an inspired burst on the violin.

Through the play changes of scrim were cleverly used, allowing for some great background settings and some stunning illusions and silhouettes.

Wesley Enoch’s vibrant production plays upstairs at Belvoir street until the 17th May.