Additional information
by Bill Reed (Author)
An ensemble of actors who are about to start rehearsing a play about the Moree race riots visit Endeavour Lane in Moree to get a feel of the lie of the land. This is where the young Aboriginal 'Cheeky' McIntosh was shot and killed during the infamous 1982 rumble between local whites and blacks. The leader/director/writer of the ensemble has a more intimate knowledge of the site. Back in 1982 he remembers playing cricket with his school chums using, as a lark, a wicket made up of a piece of the makeshift 'stockade' Cheeky and his mates tried to hole up behind.Now, while the actors mill around Endeavour Lane, an old man appears in their midst, sits down and declares he is waiting for a bus (Endeavour Lane is a dead end) to take him to the murder trial of the three Whites charged with Cheeky's death. The old man is Daddy, a local Moree elder.Is he out of his time? Is he trying to interfere with the ensemble's thinking about putting on a play about that night back in 1982? Is he really waiting for a bus to take him to some trial about the riot? They might be the wiser if they could concentrate on what Daddy is saying rather than arguing amongst themselves. They do understand, though, that dabbling with the theatre is dabbling with an illusion that can be more real than reality, and just as killing.Still, they cannot understand why that full-scale riot at Myall Creek Massacre - even further back in 1838 -- should keep cropping up in what should have otherwise been their lazy'n'hazy Sunday morning, especially since not a line of script has been written yet.It begs the question about which Daddy down the millennia are they dealing with here?---------------------------Bill Reed is a novelist, playwright and short-story writer. He has worked as editor and journalist both in Australia and overseas, and has won national competitions for drama and for long and short fiction.
Author Biography
Bill Reed is a novelist, playwright and short-story writer. He was born in Perth, Australia, but grew up in Adelaide and Melbourne, where he is better known as a local author. His nine professionally-produced plays include Burke's Company, Mr Siggie Morrison with his Comb and Paper, Truganinni, Cass Butcher Bunting. These plays have also been published. His twelve novels have included Dogod, The 1001 Lankan Nights books 1 and 2, Me the Old Man, and the novel tetralogy Throw Her Back, Are Your Human?, Awash and Tasker Tusker Tasker. The Australian Script Centre has accepted 11 of his plays for listing and purchase through its official website Australianplays.org. He has worked as editor and journalist both in Australia and overseas. In Australia he has been Publishing Manager of such major book-publishing houses as Rigby, A.H. and A.W. Reed, and the Macmillan Company of Australia. His novel Stigmata won the Fellowship of Australian Writers' ANA award. Among his awards for drama are Critics Choice and The Alexander Theatre Award for Burke's Company and Cass Butcher Bunting. He has won national competitions in all three categories of drama, novels and short stories, including the National Short Story Award.
