A DOUBLE-bill show about how researching family history can uncover unique stories is coming to the Capital Theatre stage this July.<\/p>\n
Stardust and The Mission<\/em> tell the tales of two men\u2019s ancestors, produced by award-winning ABC presenter and performer Joel Carnegie.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a double bill of two Australia family stories,\u201d Carnegie said. \u201cStardust is the story of my grandfather [Col Brain] who was a jazz musician and trumpet player.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore he died, he stored his life possessions in a cupboard and locked it up, and it sat in our garage for many years until one day mum and I discovered it again, reopened it and his life fell out in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Carnegie originally produced a documentary for ABC Radio National, before turning it into a radio cabaret show.<\/p>\n He said during production of the live show, director Tom Molyneux discovered a personal story of his own, involving his great, great uncle Allan McDonald; which inspired The Mission<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cAllan was one of the first Aboriginal soldiers to enlist for war\u2026 only to come back to a country which didn\u2019t want to recognise him and his contribution,\u201d Carnegie said.<\/p>\n The pair were inspired to take both stories and develop a \u201cfull-blown live theatre experience.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe drew these stories together as an idea of exploring the stories of the people who came before you to understand more about who you are today.\u201d<\/p>\n Carnegie and Molyneux are joined by a rolling creative team for their national tour, which includes local bands assisting with the live music component.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the great elements of the show is we get to work with local brass bands to perform as part of the show,\u201d Carnegie said.<\/p>\n \u201c[In Bendigo] we\u2019re going to be working with six members of the Marist Brass Band who are currently rehearsing and working on the music.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means the show keeps us on our toes, keeps the shows fresh and adds a local flavour to the show which is always a really terrific experience for the players, but also an opportunity for audience members to see their local musicians perform on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n