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Education Resources

by Matthew RyanKelly

At the Theatre

We’d like to welcome you to the experience of attending a live performance – while we know you get all the etiquette stuff, here’s a reminder of some simple information you can consider while watching the performance.

1. We ask you to get involved in the performances by applauding and laughing at appropriate moments. If you have a question – ask your teacher at the interval/end of the show or one of the cast, if you have a chance for a Question & Answer session.

2. Food or drink is not permitted in the theatre 3. Live theatre is different to TV – the actors on stage can hear and see you and there

are other members of the audience to think about. If you need to leave the performance for any reason, please ensure this is done quickly and quietly and at an appropriate break in the action

4. Switching your phone to silent isn’t the only thing to do. Please ensure that you switch off your mobile phone and leave it in your bag before the performance begins. The glow of the iPhone screen is obvious to others and is very distracting!

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SYNOPSIS Ned Kelly sits in a grimy cell at Old Melbourne Gaol on the night before his execution. His brother and fellow gang member Dan, who Ned believes died at the siege of Glenrowan, visits disguised as a priest. He’s seeking Ned’s blessing and forgiveness before heading north to start a new life in Queensland. But after everything they’ve been through together over the years, and how all of this has affected them, a blessing is not an easy ask. Brothers of the same blood and name, but with very different perspectives of their past. Cowards, murderers or heroes? Life or death? Now, at the end, they confront each other, striving to understand each other. Referencing historical events, Kelly is the latest literary achievement of Brisbanebased playwright Matthew Ryan (boy girl wall, Sacré Bleu). It is masterfully balanced with light and shade, and the quick-fire banter between the characters resonates with a crass but irresistible brand of Australian humour. Kelly is a fast-moving, action packed story which portrays the infamous cult heroes in a totally new light. Warnings: Coarse language, adult themes.

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Kelly – A production overview

Elements Examples/Explanation Role The role of Ned Kelly is a pivotal character in the

performance. The driving force of him as the protagonist in this piece is matched by the confrontation with his brother, Dan.

Relationships Dan and Ned explore the dynamics and challenges of their relationship as the show progresses. This exploration is not only about what went wrong but about their responsibility and loyalty to each other.

Tension The piece explores the tension of relationships within a family, in a high pressure situation. The tension between Ned and Dan runs throughout the piece and is heightened through the use of music, movement and flashbacks.

Atmosphere/Mood The play is set in Ned’s cell and is dark and menacing. The mood is a clear reflection of Ned’s imminent execution.

Conventions

Naturalism Australian Theatre Real time situation The Elements of Drama can enhance a student’s understanding of a production and its effectiveness. The Elements of Drama include:

Focus Space Role Relationships Time/Place/Situation Tension Structure Language/Sound Movement/Timing/Rhythm Atmosphere/Mood/Symbol/Moment Audience Engagement/Dramatic Meaning

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The History – The Kelly Gang Taken from: http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/ned-kelly

Edward 'Ned' Kelly was born in Beveridge in 1855, the first-born son of an Irish Catholic couple. His father, John 'Red' Kelly was an ex-convict (transported for the theft of two pigs), who eloped with Ellen Quinn, an Irish 'bounty migrant', from Van Diemen’s Land (later Tasmania) to Port Phillip. The Kelly’s settled in the Victorian ranges north of Melbourne, eking out a living on the edge of the squatter's rich lands. Red Kelly supplemented his income by horse stealing. After his arrest and gaoling for horse-stealing, Red Kelly died before finishing his sentence. Ellen moved the family to a slab hut at Eleven Mile Creek in the north-west of the colony where Ned became the main breadwinner, taking jobs as a timber cutter and rural worker - ringbarking, breaking in horses, mustering cattle and fencing. Ned Kelly grew up with the tales of bushrangers and knew the tale of Ben Hall well. At the age of 14, Ned was arrested for stealing 10 shillings from a Chinese man and reportedly to have announced that he 'was going to be a bushranger'. Ned was sent as a kind of apprentice bush worker to Harry Power, one of the last of the convicts transported to Van Diemen’s Land in 1842 for stealing a pair of shoes, who took to bushranging after escaping from Pentridge Gaol. A year later, Kelly was charged with robbery under arms on one occasion when he was holding Power's horse. He was freed for lack of evidence, although a few months later he was back in the lockup for assault. During this time, Ned also gained some notoriety as the 'champion' boxer in the Beechworth district. Irish rebels and wild colonial boys Before the end of transportation in 1840, more than 50,000 Irish 'rebels' were exiled to Australia. Their mistrust of British authority came with them, along with their vehement independence as Catholics, specifically excluded from holding public office or government positions until after 1900. It has been argued that this independence of the Irish contributed to the showdown with Ned Kelly and the police at Glenrowan in 1880. Many of the transported convicts were also agitators, machine breakers, political activists and union organisers. These included the Scottish lawyer Thomas Muir, transported in 1794 for handing out copies of Tom Paine's The Rights of Man. The shooting of Constable Fitzpatrick Ned's real troubles with the police began when his mother was arrested for the shooting of Constable Fitzpatrick, who was later dismissed from the police force as 'a liar and a larrikin'. Fitzpatrick was in charge of the Greta Police Station for a few days and had been warned to stay away from the Kelly’s - a warning he ignored, boasting in several hotels that he would 'fix the Greta mob'. Fitzpatrick headed out to arrest Dan Kelly for alleged horse stealing; Dan having just returned home from gaol. At the hut, Fitzpatrick assaulted Kate, Ned's older sister. During this affray, Ellen Kelly shot Fitzpatrick in the wrist but because she wanted to avoid any repercussions, tended Fitzpatrick's wounds, fed him, gave him something to drink and sent him on his way, with an understanding that no more would be said. Fitzpatrick returned to the police station with a different story which involved being hit on the head with a shovel, an ambush by Kelly sympathisers and being shot at three times by

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Ned Kelly. Ned Kelly was 400 miles away at the time. Ellen Kelly was sentenced by Judge Redmond Barry to three years in gaol, with a breastfeeding infant, for attempted murder of Constable Fitzpatrick. While Ned Kelly did not try to break into Beechworth gaol to rescue his mother as planned, he offered an ultimatum to the government of the day: ... to give those people who are suffering innocence, justice and liberty. If not I will be compelled to show some colonial stratagems which will open the eyes of not only the Victoria Police and inhabitants but also the whole British Army... (Jerilderie Letter, p. 19) Hiding out in the Wombat Ranges Ned was so enraged that he made a hide-out, with his brother Dan and their mates Joe Byrne and Steve Hart, at the head of the King River, a virtually impenetrable place where Harry Power had long eluded escape (before he had been eventually caught with the help of an informant and black trackers). Ned Kelly used this hideout to his advantage, aided by sympathetic 'informers', to confirm who made their way into the Wombat Ranges. Ned was furious about the use of the Felons Apprehension Act and the use of black trackers brought in from Queensland. The police were determined to hunt down the Kelly Gang, and in October 1878 a party of four police with heavy arsenal were sent out from Mansfield. Their camp at Stringybark Creek received a surprise visit from the Kelly’s, with Ned commanding 'Bail up! Throw up your arms'. Constable McIntyre surrendered but Constable Lonigan went for his revolver, before being shot dead by Ned Kelly. When the other two police appeared and, Sergeant Kennedy reached for his revolver, he was mortally wounded. Constable Scanlon was then killed trying to drag his rifle from its holster. Outlaws The Kelly Gang were declared outlaws after raids on the National Bank at Euroa and Faithful Creek station in December 1878. The sum of £8000 was put on their collective heads for robbery and murder, issued by the New South Wales Colonial Secretary, Henry Parkes. A further £4000 was added by the Government of Victoria. In February 1879, Ned and his Gang bailed up the Bank of New South Wales at Jerilderie via the adjoining Royal Hotel. From here, Ned dictated the now famous Jerilderie Letter, an essay of over 7,500 words in his attempt to set the record straight. Shooting of Sherritt In June 1880, Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly visited Aaron Sherritt, a close friend of Joe Byrne and whom Joe and Ned Kelly had helped fence his property. This, however, had only marked him as a Kelly accomplice and Sherritt had ended up colluding with police. Four policemen were hiding in Sherritt's hut and, after Sherritt was shot by Byrne for betraying Kelly, the police remained hiding using the women in the hut as hostages. The Kelly's shooting of Sherritt made it look as if the Gang could move about the district as they wished, and the police redoubled their efforts to capture the Gang. The Glenrowan shoot-out After more bank robberies, the Kelly Gang had their 'last stand' in the small town of Glenrowan, Victoria in 1880, where they took 60 hostages in a hotel. The Gang established a base at the Glenrowan Hotel, determined to fight it out with police when they came. Kelly

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planned to derail the expected train carrying the police, but this was prevented by a school teacher, let out of the hotel, who flagged the train to a halt. Led by Superintendent Hare and assisted by local Constable Bracken, the troopers attacked the Gang in the hotel. Superintendent Hare and other police officers were wounded when the Gang shot at the police. The townsfolk were allowed to leave the hotel when there was a lull in the fighting. Ned Kelly was shot in the arm and thumb, and retreated to the bush, from where he hoped to attack police from behind. Knowing that the Felons Apprehension Act meant they could be shot, the Kelly Gang all wore suits of steel armour, made during the previous year. Despite this, Joe Byrne was shot in the groin and died. Dan Kelly and Steve Hart were shot dead, and the hotel was burned to the ground by the police. As dawn broke, Ned Kelly, in his armour, approached the police from the rear and began shooting at them with his revolver, despite his wounds. After half an hour, he was shot in both unprotected legs. A wounded Ned was arrested and charged with the murder of a policeman. Ned Kelly was tried and convicted of the murder of Constable Lonigan at Stringybark Creek. In gaol, Kelly wrote a long letter to the authorities demonstrating the discrimination against poor Irish settlers. Despite public protests, the judgement of Redmond Barry prevailed. Kelly spoke the immortal last words 'such is life' and was hanged on 11th November 1880 at Melbourne Gaol.

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Behind the Scenes – about the Cast and Creatives The Writer – Matthew Ryan What inspired you to write Kelly? I spent some years as a kid living in Shepparton, which is right in Kelly Country. I was amazed even then at how much Ned Kelly had permeated the history of that area. Ned has haunted me ever since. I think it was the images. They were some of the most violent pictures a young kid would come across. The grotesque newspaper illustration of the shooting of Aaron Sherritt. The bizarre photo of Joe Byrne’s dead body, strung up in a standing position. And of course, a towering figure wearing a suit of armour and shooting guns makes quite an impression on a kid. A few years ago I came up with a good idea of a confrontation between the Mayne brothers James and Isaac (from The Mayne Inheritance) in a jail cell. But La Boite had just done a production of that story so there was nothing I could do with it. And then the Kelly brothers waltzed on in. It was an amazing moment. They immediately took over my brain and started arguing with each over whose fault it all was. All this imagery that was burned into my brain as a kid was venting out in these voices. I had to write it down just to stay sane. You’ve done a lot of research for Kelly. How much truth is in your final script? Do you believe Dan Kelly really escaped the siege at Glenrowan to then live as a travelling refuge in places like SE Queensland…? Almost all of the facts in the script surrounding Ned Kelly are as true as possible. But the real history is a bit murky anyway. Keep in mind Ned was a notorious liar, mainly because most of what we have him on record as saying he was saying to the police – whom he had no qualms in lying to. And the police at that time would often lie to make themselves look better so no one really knows for sure. My goal with Ned is simply to capture the spirit of the man. To make audiences feel they’re really in the room with him. I don’t think anyone’s successfully done that yet. The real Dan Kelly is something of a mysterious figure and there isn’t a lot of information about him in the history books. He tends to pop up in the confrontations, completely fail to do what is asked of him and Ned then has to fix things. I used this idea as a building block to create the fictional character but took a lot more artistic license with him than Ned. Dan carries more of the folklore side of the story. Do I think Dan escaped? I think it’s a fifty-fifty call. There are eye-witnesses that say he died. And there are eye-witnesses that saw Dan in the weeks after Glenrowan, heading for Queensland. There’s a grave with an unrecognizable body in it in Greta. And there are reports of a man named James Ryan out at Ipswich who claimed to be Dan and told stories about The Kelly Gang that no one else should know. I like the uncertainty of it all. It’s ripe geography for fiction. How long did Kelly take to conceptualize and write? It took three years to get the Yes. I started writing the first draft in July 2008. It grew over the years and had a whole lot of flashbacks to other times and places with other characters. I got some good advice from a few different sources that the play works better when it’s

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confined to the jail cell so I got rid of the other locations and found a trick to have those flashbacks play out in the one room. How would you describe your style of writing? I’m mostly known for my comedy so I think this one is going to be a shock for some people. My work tends to be very story driven. I’m very structured. I’m much more interested in the action of a piece and what’s happening between the characters than I am in any grand political explorations. I tend to just let that stuff bubble up gently. Some background on you… I was born in Brisbane. I lived in rural Victoria for a few years and then spent my teenage years growing up on the Gold Coast before coming back to Brisbane when I went to the University of Queensland. So I’ve had a very wide vista of the Australian experience. I studied Drama/English at UQ with the intention of becoming a teacher. Then I wrote my first play at university (with Tony Brockman) and have been obsessed with it ever since. Kelly will be my seventh mainstage production in the last seven years which is a pretty good run. I’m always in the mood to write. The hardest thing for me is stopping. The trick is to get in the right mood for the particular piece you’re working on. For me it’s always music. I can’t write without music playing. Usually original scores for films. For Kelly it was The Assassination of Jesse James, There Will Be Blood, and The Proposition. But every day I’d start by shutting my eyes and listening to Gustavo Santaolalla’s Iguazu. It’s an incredible piece of music and I would instantly be transported into the world of the play. The banter between Ned and Dan is based on Irish rhythms of conversation. Their parents were Irish immigrants and while there is some debate as to whether Ned himself had an Irish accent, I really wanted to capture that amazing lyrical quality of the speech patterns – if not in the actual words then at least in the pacing and timing. It seems to be in my own blood because once they started talking in that rhythm I couldn’t shut them up. Listen to Matt talking about the Kelly story and conspiracies about Dan Kelly. http://www.4bc.com.au/blogs/4bc-blog/ned-kelly-conspiracy/20120903-259pc.html#.UEQpB9ZlQfx

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Resources Ned Kelly and the Kelly Gang http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/ned-kelly http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/choose-australia/about-australia/fivefreedoms.htm http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kelly-edward-ned-3933 http://www.abc.net.au/schoolstv/australians/nedkelly.htm http://www.castleofspirits.com/website/old/Australianghosthunters/oldmelbgaol.htm l http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/explore/fact-sheets/ned-kelly-fact-sheet

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/myth-clouds-truth-of-stringybark-creeksurvivor/2005/10/17/1129401196940.html?from=moreStories http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/kellys-girl-back-with-the-gang-where-itall-began/2005/09/15/1126750078279.html http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/development-totally-destroys-historicalintegrity/2006/06/09/1149815316605.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 http://www.bailup.com/assorted%20history%20facts.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFCxI0Ts3hw http://www.bailup.com/Time%20Line.htm

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