Prophet and Loss

Written and Directed by Jane Woollard

‘Prophet and Loss' was commissioned by Creative Ministries Network (CMN), a grief support agency for families bereaved by a workplace death. It was a partnership with the Centre for Theology and Ministry, University of Melbourne, and my company Here Theatre. CMN works closely with families, supporting them through their grief journey and the traumatic process of seeking justice through the legal system. My brief was to document and honour these real life stories, and set them alongside the ancient Hebrew text of Isaiah. My research question was whether verbatim theatre could be brought into a successful relationship with a biblical text in a contemporary theatre production.

My approach was to interview families and work with actors to dramatise these stories. The figure of Isaiah also appeared in the work – a prophet played by each of the actors at different points in the work. The spiritual device of the labyrinth, and medieval laments performed by two grubby angels added an epic and other worldly seam to the work, and recontextualised the Hebrew text alongside Australian grief stories. 

Prophet and Loss reached a large audience over 8 nights of performances. Members of the community experienced the play as a therapeutic intervention, commenting that it placed their story within a long continuum of lament and loss. There were public forums and an art exhibition connected with the performance season. The project integrated research, counselling, community support and theatre practice for a community of people whose experience is one of being beaten by life, and let down by bureaucracies in their quest for justice and healing.

Performed at Wyselaskie Hall, Centre for Theology and Ministry, University of Melbourne.

Cast: Glynis Angell, Tom Considine, Fanny Hanusin, Deb Kayser, Helen Morse, Tim Stitz, Nick Tsiavos

Design; Amanda Johnson

Lighting: Bronwyn Pringle

Music: Deb Kayser and Nick Tsiavos

Tom Considine and Helen Morse received Green Room Award nominations for their work, and Helen won the 2009 Green Room Award for best Female Performer.