Saltbush: the interactive children’s show bringing the beauty and mythology of the Australian landscape to life

Posted on 26 February, 2025

This March, your children will be taking centre stage in a new interactive performance at the Canberra Theatre Centre.

Get excited for Saltbush – a magical show that invites young children to explore, play and dance through Australia’s diverse landscapes, immersing themselves in a unique storytelling experience.

Rooted in the wisdom of Australia’s First Nations cultures, Saltbush centres on the journey of two friends from different Aboriginal backgrounds as they cross Australia on foot.

Celebrating the connection between people, the land, and its stories, cutting-edge technology like sensors and infrared cameras allows children to join two performers on the stage to become an integral part of the show, learning about the culture and landscape of Aboriginal Australia while creating art.

Credit: Rebecca Mansell.

But according to dancer Luke Currie-Richardson, the performance is as meaningful as it is magical.

A descendant of the Kuku Yalanji and Djabugay peoples, the Muunjali Clan of South East QLD, the Butchulla clan of K’gari and the Meriam people of the Eastern Torres Straits Islands, he says it was the playfulness and innocence of the project that first drew him to it.

“A lot of my shows that I’ve performed in over my time have been super serious, contemporary dance art, and a lot of it dealing with Indigenous issues, which deals with a lot of trauma,” he explains.

“This on the other hand…I went along and saw the original cast members do it. One of my favourite scenes of the show is when we bring out a screen, and it’s the night sky. I remember crying in the show because of the magic, the imagination of kids and the innocence, where they just saw a world beyond the theatre’s four walls.”

“It was such a moving experience away from the seriousness of the contemporary dance that I’m usually doing.”

Inspired by the saltbush plant – a symbol of unity among Indigenous nations – the production weaves together contemporary painting, dance, and music created by First Nations artists to bring the beauty and mythology of the Australian landscape to life.

Describing it as a playful and informative journey, Luke says Saltbush is also a powerful tool in sharing First Nations culture with children.

“It’s first start of teaching kids about Indigenous culture,” he explains.

“When it comes to education, people think we have to talk about deep lessons and history lessons. There’s talking about caring for land and little gems like that within the script.”

“Other things are little uses of language at the end…There’s just little gems within the piece that kind of comes back to the cultural way of living, and the cultural practices.”

Allowing children to interact, play and perform while parents and teachers watch on, Saltbush was produced by Insite Arts and Compagnia TPO, an award-winning artistry in multi-media theatre for young people combined with the work of acclaimed First Nations artists.

And while he has experience previously dancing with Bangarra Dance Theatre, Saltbush is nothing like Luke has done before.

“It’s super fun, you can never truly prepare like a traditional show… the kids will, without a doubt, throw something new at you,” he says.

“But it helps you flex those muscles as well and helps you stay present and really focus on what the story is in that given moment.”

Credit: Rebecca Mansell.

Presented as part of this year’s Enlighten Beyond program, Saltbush will be showing at the Canberra Theare Centre for a limited run, from Tuesday 4 until Saturday 8 March.

Ideal for children aged four to 10, each performance runs for an hour – and the best part is with evening shows starting at 6 pm, families won’t have to worry about being out late.

Spending his formative years in Canberra and starting his performance journey as a member of QL2, for Luke, coming to Canberra to share the magic of Saltbush feels like a full circle moment.

“It’s nice to show my art and what I’ve been doing since I left when I was 18,” he says.

“The people that come to see the show, who have followed my journey, it’s nice to reconnect with them as well, and give back to the community that I started my career in. It’s really nice to come back full circle.”

Bringing the beauty and mythology of the Australian landscape to life, you’ll want to book tickets for the whole family.

Feature image: Jordan O’Davis. Credit: TJ Garvie.