Show Notes
“My dad grew up on a dirt-floor shack, and why didn’t he become a number-one tennis player?”
Before Ash Barty lifted the trophy at Wimbledon, there was Evonne Goolagong.
As a young, self-confessed ‘tennis geek’, theatre maker Andrea James remembers being captivated by Wiradjuri tennis legend Evonne Goolagong, the greatest Aboriginal tennis player that Australia has ever produced.
“I remember very strongly as a young Aboriginal girl growing up in regional Victoria the sight of this Aboriginal woman on the screen… I had never seen that before.”
Andrea had long been fond of Evonne but when her now-husband gifted her a copy of Goolagong’s autobiography during courting, her tennis obsession became an Evonne-obsession.
“I could not put the book down… I just thought, ‘Why hasn’t this story been told in this way before?’”
Andrea’s powerful new work, Sunshine Super Girl, is a celebration of spirit and passion over adversity and a tribute to a woman whose sporting prowess continues to inspire a nation.
In this episode, Andrea reveals a shared ancestral link with the seven-time grand slam winner, why it was critical to receive Evonne’s blessing in the making of this landmark play, and the challenge of recreating global tennis tournaments for the stage.
Brisbane Festival returns to fill the city with three weeks of wonder, delight and celebration from 2 – 24 September 2022. For information and tickets, visit
brisbanefestival.com.au
Beginners’ Call records on Turrbal and Yugerra country in Meanjin, Brisbane. Brisbane Festival recognises the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples play in our creative, artistic and celebration spaces and pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
Podcast Host: Adam Brunes (
Aruga)
What is Beginners’ Call?
Beginners’ Call takes audiences backstage and behind-the-scenes of Brisbane Festival, Queensland’s largest and much-loved celebration of arts and culture.
Meet the makers and hear from the artists; discover and critique new work; slip into the rehearsal room and stand in the wings as we give audiences unprecedented access to Queensland’s most anticipated event of the year.
Beginners’ Call shares the stories of actors and musicians, reveals the inspiration that drives creators and producers and explores the breadth and diversity of the 2022 Brisbane Festival program.
Quiet on set, the show’s about to start…