Malthouse acknowledges the unceded lands of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge their sovereignty and their Songlines. We pay respect to their Elders and their Children. We embrace and celebrate the oldest culture in the world.
When I wrote my memoir The Hate Race, I figured it would only be read by a few hundred people. The concept—to tell a childhood through the lens of race, having grown up as the child of Black British migrants of AfroCaribbean descent in 80s and 90s Australia— was one many publishers balked at taking on. My shock was palpable, when on publication, this book became a bestseller in Australia, and was eventually put on the Year 12 text list in my home state of Victoria. Over the last few years, I have heard from students, teachers, lecturers, librarians and other readers, who’ve said ‘This is my story’ or ‘I stood on the sidelines of this story, and now I see myself’ or ‘I’m living this now’ or ‘This story shifted something inside of me.’
I’ve visited classrooms and libraries and universities across the country to speak about this book... and this ‘outsider’ memoir has ceased to be ‘my’ story, and become part of the Australian story. It has been embraced by those who’ve felt othered in some way, and even at times, by those who’ve done the othering.
How then, to adapt this story to stage in a manner that would honour both the original memoir text, and the way the story has grown and expanded since publication?
Enter the new griots.
This is the way the stories of my lineage have always been told: hung on the bodies of storytellers who sung folktales, and drummed history, and passed poetry along. Before this reimagining of The Hate Race reaches the stage, it will have passed through many careful and talented hands—from directors, to actors, to dramaturgs, to musicians, to composers, to stage, sound and lighting designers. It seems fitting, that while the book was my story; the production is ours Thank you to everyone who helped care and cradle and craft this stage production into existence. And to the incoming audiences, who will carry this story forward. This is how it changes us. This is how we change.
MAXINE BENEBA CLARKE WRITERMaxine would like to thank Hachette Australia and Robert Watkins for their conviction in bringing The Hate Race to Australian shelves, her family for their support in the sharing
of this story, Zahra Newman for creative consultancy, and Amaya Laucirica, Lian Low, Erik Jensen, and Jinghua Qian for their feedback and support.
Racism is inhumane, meaning against humanity—it presupposes that due to pigmentation one human is more human than another. Racial ontology, epistemology, and axiology are registered powerfully through the vehicle of performance. Maxine has archived the experience of a black girl growing up in Australia. As African diaspora women, we share similar stories. For me, it was in the bathtub with my sisters putting towels on our heads pretending we had long silky white girl hair like the Pantene commercial. Or pashing my poor pillowcase imagining I was kissing a white boy from a Dolly magazine who we knew weren’t thinking of us in that way because being a black girl in the early 90s in Australia was undesirable.
There are so many types of racism we experienced and are still experiencing—some of which are too violent and brutal to mention. The Hate Race calls us in to question that if the systems that are supposed to serve, protect, and nurture every person can give the green light to cruelty and injustices, are there other ways of being and doing things? Is this the future Australia we want to be co-opted into?
It is getting more and more difficult to turn away from race relations as the world increasingly becomes more globalised and interdependent, demanding we face race tensions and conflicts, head on. No longer can we easily play the role of bystander, we are realising we are all complicit in creating the environments and ecosystems in which we cohabit, work, and play.
The mastery of The Hate Race is that it is perfectly balanced with humour—the elixir of humanity. Music sits as a spine in The Hate Race that connects us. It points to our reality that dub reggae music, 90s RnB, spoken word poetry are fabrics of this contemporary landscape like John Farnham’s music much like Maxine Beneba Clarke is now a part of the Australian literary canon.
TARIRO MAVONDO CO-DIRECTORYou always remember your first day of school. The smell of the classroom, the tight knot in your stomach wondering if you’ll find a best friend. I cried my eyes out the day before I started school, riddled with anxiety that I couldn’t read yet. The earliest years of our lives are when we develop our sense of self. The hope is that we develop a positive sense of self and a greater sense of belonging. To do this, there are key people in our lives who need to do their part. Our parents, educators, other kids, other adults, the communities we are part of. If these other people don’t pull their weight, the effects are deep-rooted and take decades to unpick.
All children deserve love, respect, protection, and safety. What we’ve seen time and again— and acutely so in the past couple of months across the world—is that these basic human rights aren’t always afforded to all children. Maxine wants a Cabbage Patch Kid like everyone else, she wants to enjoy her Paddle Pop in peace and ride her bike carefree. Instead, she has rocks thrown at her—rocks that have been thrown for generations. We witness how daily interactions invite microaggressions for Maxine. These microaggressions compound into bigger moments that she is then left to process mostly on her own and leave their own eternal mark on her.
Being a part of bringing this portrait of Maxine’s life to the stage with this incredible team has been a pure joy and an absolute privilege. While not letting any one of us off the hook, not allowing any one of us to look away, The Hate Race is a generous offering towards social cohesion. Storytelling is key to community healing, and sharing stories like this one is something we desperately need right now as a nation if we want to continue calling ourselves a nation.
COURTNEY STEWART CO-DIRECTOR
MAXINE BENEBA CLARKE (SHE/HER) WRITER
ZAHRA NEWMAN (SHE/HER) CAST
DAN WEST (HE/HIM) COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER
TARIRO MAVONDO (SHE/HER) CO-DIRECTOR
KUDA MAPEZA (SHE/THEY) CAST (MUSICIAN)
JESS KEEPENCE (SHE/HER) STAGE MANAGER
COURTNEY STEWART (SHE/HER) CO-DIRECTOR
ZOË ROUSE (SHE/HER) SET & COSTUME DESIGNER
AMARANTHA ROBINSON (SHE/HER) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LEAD
BIANCA PARDO (SHE/HER)
BESEN PLACEMENT (SET & COSTUME DESIGN)
EMILY WELLS (SHE/HER) BESEN PLACEMENT (PRODUCING)
DECLAN GREENE (HE/HIM) DRAMATURG
RACHEL LEE (SHE/HER) LIGHTING DESIGNER
PATRICK JONES (HE/HIM)
SCENIC ARTIST
BOARD
FIONA M c GAUCHIE (CHAIR)
JACOB VARGHESE (DEPUTY CHAIR)
JADA ALBERTS
DEBBIE DADON AM
DR ANNA FOLEY
LINDY HUME AM Ph D
ANDREW MYER AM
SUE PRESTNEY
PAMELA RABE
MARY VALENTINE AO
ALISON WHYTE
ALAN WONG
ALICE AMES (OBSERVER)
EXECUTIVE
MATTHEW LUTTON OAM
VIVIA HICKMAN
ARTISTIC & PROGRAMMING
ANNIE BOURKE
BERNADETTE FAM
LAURA HALE
LAURA MILKE GARNER
MARLINE ZAIBAK
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
TRACEY HORSEY
LIZ WHITE
CONNIE STELLA
CAITLYN O’KANE
STEVE HEARNE
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
CLAIRE LA GRECA
JACQUI BATHMAN
AAYUSHI PARIKH
LAUREN GALLINA
PUBLICITY
TS PUBLICITY
GRAPHIC DESIGN
HOURS AFTER DEVELOPMENT
DAVID DRYSDALE
PATRICK CRUMMY
EDUCATION
LYALL BROOKS
TICKETING & BOX OFFICE
PRUE SUTHERLAND
FIONA WISEMAN
BOX OFFICE STAFF
PAUL BUCKLEY
PERRI CUMMINGS
CLAIRE DUNCAN
CASEY GOULD
MELLITA ILICH
JULIA LANDBERG
BRIGID MEREDITH
ISA MUNHOS
LIZ WHITE
PRODUCTION
BLAIR HART
BAIRD M c KENNA
DEXTER VARLEY
COINTHA WALKEDEN
ROB BALLINGALL
MICHAEL CARR
BRENDAN JELLIE
DELIA SPICER
GOFFREDO MAMELI
ELIZABETH WHITTON
LENNON FOWLER
PRODUCTION STAFF
TAIT ADAMS
LEIA ALEX
ASH BASHAM
AL BRILL
SUZI BROOKS
NATHAN BURMEISTER
MYLES CAREW
EDWIN CHEAH
JUSTIN GARDAM
FINNIAN GLEESON
LUKE GRANA
KADIN HAWKER
PADDY HAY
JODI HOPE
ETHAN HUNTER
PATRICK JONES
KHISRAW JONES-SHUKOOR
JOSHUA MACKENZIE
NICOLAS MOLONEY
SAM NIX
ROSEMARY OSMOND
NICHOLAS PAGES-OLIVER
WILLIAM PALAZZO
CHRIS PAYNE
RHYS POTTINGER
ZOE RABB
CECILY RABEY
NATALYA SHIELD
DARREN THAO
EM VAN DYK
PHILIP WATT
OUNIE WITHEROW AITKEN
VENUE
DANIELLE GIORDANO
EMMA CORBETT
FIKER GEBREHANA
FRONT OF HOUSE STAFF
CARA BRODIE
MITCH BROTZ
LOUISA CARPINTERI
DANIELLE GODER
ZOE HADLER
GEORGE JEFFORD
SOPHIE M c CRAE
HAYLEY NEWMAN
TEXAS NIXON-KAIN
ELLIE ROTH
LUCY SEALE
EMMA SHAW
DARCIE SHORT
FLYNN SMEATON
BARNEY SPICER
KENNY WAITE
KATE WASHINGTON
HAYLEY WOLTERS
BAR STAFF
CAMERON BAJRAKTAREVICHAYWARD
ISSY COMEGNA
LEWIS EGAN
KIRRA NINER
RACHEL ROVIRA
ELLEIA RUSSELL
CLAUDE SARMIENTO
KAIVU SUVARNA
LACHIE WATTS
URANIA
MUSE OF THE STARS
$20,000+
Andyinc Foundation, Circle5 Foundation, Debbie Dadon AM, Girgensohn Foundation, Suzanne Kirkham, The Humanity Foundation, Craig Reeves
CLIO
MUSE OF HISTORY
$10,000+
John & Lorraine Bates, J Cowen, Jennifer Darbyshire & David Walker, Anna Foley & Dashiell Gantner, Carrillo Gantner AO, Richard Leonard & Gerlinde
Scholz, Michele Levine, Simone Lourey, Fiona McGauchie & James Penlidis, Peter & MaryRuth McLennan, Alison & Peter Mitchell, Liz & Chris Schell, Janine Tai, Anonymous (1)
THALIA
MUSE OF COMEDY
$5,000+
Bagôt Gjergja Foundation, Canny Quine Foundation, Geoff & Christine Grenda, Jordana Hunter & Jacob Varghese, Ann Kemeny & Graham Johnson, Vera Moore Foundation, Christopher Reed, Rob Stewart & Lisa Dowd, Anonymous (1)
MELPOMENE
MUSE OF TRAGEDY
$2,500+
The Briscoe Family, Susanne Dahn, Anita & Richard Dammery, Mark Duckworth PSM & Lauren
Mosso, Rosemary Forbes & Ian Hocking, Amy & Paul
Jasper, Michael Kingston, Dr Sue Lutton, Lauren Mitchell & Bradley Shawyer, Stephen
Mitchell & Lizzie Holland, Sue
Prestney & Paul Glen, Dr Tim
Smyth, Tom Smyth, Fiona
Sweet & Paul Newcombe, Peter Templeton, Leonard Vary & Dr Matt Collins AM KC, Rosemary Walls, Jon Webster AM
EUTERPE
MUSE OF MUSIC
$1,000+
Monica & Sam Abrahams, Anita & Graham Anderson, Nan Brown, Sally Browne Fund, Ros Casey, Min Li Chong, Christine Clough, Jason Craig, Carman’s Kitchen, Jo & Mark Davey, Roger Donazzan, Bronwen Evans, Evelyn Firstenberg, PRRRH, Nannette Hunter, Irene Kearsey & M J Ridley, Julie & Michael Landvogt, Mark Larsen, J Lowther, Ian Manning & Dr Alice De Jonge, Jennifer & Tony Merlino, Tom & Ruth O’Dea, Sophie Padget, Mike & Jane Rikard-Bell, Anita Roberts, Rohitha Rupesinghe & Mi Fon Lew, Viorica Samson, Simon Schofield, Craig Semple, Robert Sessions AM & Christina Fitzgerald, Lynne Sherwood, Mary Vallentine AO, Pinky Watson, Scott White & Martine La Fontaine, Jan Williams, Anonymous (3)
TERPSICHORE MUSE OF DANCE
$500+
Abbey-Pinkerton Family, Frankie Airey & Steve Solly, Michael Arnold, Rowland Ball OAM, Peter Berry & Amanda Quirk, Katherine Brazenor, The Brownlee Family, Elise Callander, Sandy & Yvonne Constantine, Louise Dunn & Chris Mason, Mary Dyer, Rod Fuller, John & Helen Gibbins, Robert & Henry, Lindy Hume AM, Prof Michael Jefford, Joan & Graeme Johnson OAM, Stephanie Jones, Mira & Dr David Kolieb, Cameron Lewis, Fiona Mahony, Michelle Mason, Susanna Mason, Kaylene O’Neill, Monica Perkins, Charlie Powles, Michael Riordan & Geoffrey Bush, Jean Ross, Mary-Anne Thomas, Penny Ward, Peter & Shirley Watson, Jillian Wells OAM & David Wells OAM, Anonymous (6)
ERATO MUSE OF LOVE
$250+
Simon Abrahams, Mandy Battaini, Michele Bauer, Nicole Beyer, Dr Rob Brown, Lynette Campbell, Abigail Cases, Justine Charles, Michael Ciesielski, Rachel Cobb, Patrick Conway, Dr June Corry, Phil & Mim Curtis, Marita Dunbar, Colin Dyer, Kerry Elly, Paula Fernon, Dr Vanessa Gavens, Neil Gibbs, Linden Golding, Michael Golding, Joanne Griffiths, Russell Hooper, Arechea Hounsell, Dr Irene Irvine, Leigh Johns OAM, David Johnston-Bell, Petra Kalive & Tim Stitz, Anna Fairbank
Ann Lau, Snowe Li, IbacetaLynch Family, Ross Lyons, Edwina Sahhar, Dr Kristina Macrae & Bruce Macrae, Will McDonald, Susan McLean, Pamela McLure, Andrea Medwin, Steve Milton, George Morstyn, Judy Morton, Glenn Munari & Maria O’Shannessy, Linda & Tim Norman, Linda Notley, Anne O’Donovan AO, Vanessa O’Neill, Gerard Powell, James Ralston & Kate Thorburn, Yashian Schauble, Katrina Sedgwick OAM, Hidden Secrets Tours, Anna Colbasso & Michael Taylor, Chris Teh, Peter & Lesley Thomas, Casini Tisseverasinghe, Margaret & Barry Vieira, Jo Whyte, Barbara Yuncken, Meg Zerafa, Anonymous (10)
We would also like to gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have chosen to leave us a gift in their Will.
Malthouse Muse donations are recognised for 12 months from the time of donation. The lists above are current as of January 2024.