# Trevor Jamieson

Trevor Jamieson (born 7 March 1975) is an Aboriginal Australian stage and film actor, playwright, dancer, singer and didgeridoo player.

## Early life

Trevor Jamieson was born on 7 March 1975 in Subiaco, Western Australia (WA).
He grew up in the Western Australian Goldfields region, mostly around Kalgoorlie, Esperance, and Norseman, but his people are mostly of the Central Desert, in particular Nullarbor and Maralinga. He has links to Pitjantjara (on his father's side), Kukatja, and other groups, including the Noongar peoples of south-western WA (on his mother's side). His mother was removed from his grandmother by missionaries soon after birth, so as a child he learnt more about his father's side. His father and his grandfather were policemen.
His aunt, Lynette Markle, is the niece of playwright Jack Davis, so he was exposed to drama at an early age, and enjoyed being in a play at school. Thinking about signing up as a constable at the end of 1992, Markle persuaded him to go for an audition, which led to the first step in his career - a role in the stage musical Bran Nue Dae, which toured nationally.
He is a cousin of South Australian actress Natasha Wanganeen and an uncle of actor Clarence Ryan, whom he met while filming Lockie Leonard, where they play father and son.

## Career

Jamieson is an actor, dancer, singer, playwright, and didgeridoo player.

### Stage

Jamieson's first stage performance was in the touring producing of Bran Nue Dae in 1993. In 1994 he acted in Wild Cat Falling at the Downstairs Theatre at the Belvoir in Sydney. In 1996 he was in Corrugation Road, another musical by Jimmy Chi, this time set in a mental hospital.
He co-wrote The Career Highlights of the MAMU with Scott Rankin, staged in 2002. This was a dramatisation of the impact of the British nuclear testing at Maralinga, South Australia between 1956 and 1963 on the Indigenous Australians in the region, who were known as the Spinifex people. A video recording was made of the production performed by Black Swan Theatre Company at the Kampnagel theatre in Hamburg, Germany in August 2002. The play was directed by Andrew Ross of Black Swan, and performed at the 2002 Adelaide Festival and the Octagon Theatre at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in May–June 2002, before touring to Mandurah, Margaret River, and Esperance.
He was co-creator of Ngapartji Ngapartji, with Big hART's creative director Scott Rankin. This was a language revitalisation and community development project started in 2005 and which developed into a stage performance as an offshoot. In the theatrical production, Jamieson narrates his family's story. It was performed at the Sydney Opera House and evolved over the years, with performances around the country with changes of cast and script.Ngapartji Ngapartji has toured Australia extensively in between 2005 and 2008 with the show undergoing various developments throughout its production history. In 2012, the show was revived in Canberra in a condensed version under the name Ngapartji Ngapartji One, but Jamieson was not in the cast that year as he was touring with another Big hART production, Namatjira.
In 2012–13 Jamieson played the artist Albert Namatjira in Namatjira, in a performance that was another offshoot of a community project by Big hART, written and directed by Scott Rankin. The play was seen by over 48,000 Australians at its performances at Belvoir and Riverside Theatre Parramatta (Sydney), Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne, and many other theatres on its regional tour of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, before touring to London, where it played at the Southbank Centre in November. The play won the 2012 Helpmann Award for Best Regional Touring Production.
In 2013 he took the role of Fingerbone Bill in a stage production of Storm Boy by Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company, based on the 1964 novel by Colin Thiele.
In 2014, Jamieson worked with the Black Arm Band theatre company in a musical theatre production called Dirtsong which closed the 2014 Adelaide Festival on 16 March 2014. The performers, who included Jamieson, Archie Roach, Lou Bennett, Emma Donovan and many other singers and musicians, sang songs with lyrics by writer Alexis Wright, with some sung in Aboriginal languages. The performance included both contemporary and traditional songs, and had premiered five years earlier at the 2009 Melbourne International Arts Festival, with Jamieson not in the original cast.
In 2016, Jamieson participated in a multicultural dance presentation, along with Indian dancers Isha Shavani and Tao Issaro, other Aboriginal dancers, and Maori dancers. The performance was called Kaya, meaning "hello", and it toured regional WA, including Kalgoorlie, before premiering in Perth at the Dolphin Theatre at UWA.
In May 2022 Jamieson played Dugald in a revival of the opera Voss, a co-production by State Opera South Australia and Victorian Opera. Originally scheduled to be performed in Melbourne in August 2021, owing to a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the season was cancelled and rescheduled to a single performance at the Adelaide Festival Theatre. The production was well-reviewed, with two critics giving it four out of five stars.
Jameieson acted in the 2013 and 2016 productions of Andrew Bovell's The Secret River. For the 2017 production at Anstey Hill Quarry for the Adelaide Festival, he arranged the music. The co-production of the State Theatre Company of South Australia and the Sydney Theatre Company, co-directed by Neil Armfield and Geordie Brookman. was a record-breaking success, playing to full houses over 18 nights.
Jamieson's performance in Jada Alberts' Brothers Wreck (2016) was praised. The topic (Indigenous youth suicide) was one for which Jamieson could draw on his own life experiences.

### Film and TV

In 2009, an episode of Message Stick on ABC Television, called "Spinifex Man", was aired. Filmmaker Allan Collins talks to Jamieson about his life and work in the program.
Jamieson portrayed Fingerbone Bill in the 2019 film Storm Boy, released on 17 January 2019. He loved the 1976 film and especially idolised David Gulpilil (who played Fingerbone Bill), so playing the character in both the stage version in 2013 and this film was a dream come true for him. He consulted Ngarrindjeri / Kaurna elder Moogy Sumner on the singing, dancing, and other cultural protocols, and worked with a Ngarrindjeri linguist to get the language right, as he was representing Ngarrindjeri people in the film, which was shot on Ngarrindjeri country.

## Other roles

In 2021, Jamieson was an ambassador for the Revelation Perth International Film Festival.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Rabbit-Proof Fence | Moore River Policeman | Feature film |
| 2006 | Weewar | Weewar | Short film |
| 2007 | Done Dirt Cheap | Amos | Short film |
| 2009 | 3 Acts of Murder | Lary Dooley | TV movie |
| 2009 | Bran Nue Dae | Roebuck Hotel Dancer / Listen to the News Dancer | Feature film |
| 2013 | Around the Block | Uncle Rex | Feature film |
| 2016 | Boys in the Trees | Man in white | Feature film |
| 2018 | Kwongkan Sand | Elder | Feature film |
| 2018 | Yulubidyi - Until The End | Thunder / Mamu | Short film |
| 2018 | Thalu: Dreamtime is Now | Mingkala (voice) | Feature film |
| 2019 | Storm Boy | Fingerbone Bill | Feature film |
| 2019 | A Small Punch in a Little Town | Warragul | Feature film |
| 2023 | Run Rabbit Run | Sandy | Feature film |
| 2024 | Just a Farmer | Pat | Feature Film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Heartland | Nobby | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Kings in Grass Castles | Boontamurra Youth | Miniseries 2 episodes |
| 2009 | The Circuit | Bill | 1 episode |
| 2007-2010 | Lockie Leonard | Rev. Egg | 36 episodes |
| 2011 | My Place | Father | 1 episode |
| 2015 | The Secret River | Grey Beard (Gumang) | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Cleverman | Uncle Max | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Black Comedy | Guest cast | 5 episodes |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Honey Pot | Cousin William | Esperance, WA |
| 1993 | Bran Nue Dae | Willie | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company, Regal Theatre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 1994 | Wild Cat Falling | | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 1995 | Subi Shorts Program 1: Family Running for Mr Whippy / The Price of Prayer / Darling Oscar | | Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 1995 | Subi Shorts Program 2: Great Debbil Dingo / Buried / Slam Dunk | | Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 1996–98 | Corrugation Road | Barry | Canberra Theatre for National Festival of Australian Theatre, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne for Melbourne International Arts Festival, Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth, Playhouse Adelaide, Playhouse Theatre, Perth, Monash University with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 1997 | The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea | Mrs Vinegar / Les / Reg | Subiaco Theatre Centre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 1999 | King for this Place | Don | Deck Chair Theatre |
| 2000 | Plainsong | | Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 2000–02 | Crying Baby | | Darwin Festival with Marrugeku Theatre Co, Quarry Amphitheatre, Perth, Earagail Arts Festival, Donegal, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Technology Park, Sydney for Sydney Festival with Stalker Theatre Company |
| 2002 | The Career Highlights of the MAMU | Writer | Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide with Black Swan State Theatre Company for Adelaide Festival, Kampnagel theatre in Hamburg, Germany, Octagon Theatre at the University of Western Australia, Mandurah, Margaret River, and Esperance, Western Australia. |
| 2004 | Yandy | Storyteller | Octagon Theatre, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 2006 | Anangu Backyard | | Adelaide Arts Centre with Big hART |
| 2006–09 | Ngapartji Ngapartji | Narrator / Creator | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse Theatre, Perth, Dreaming Festival Site, Woodford, Artspace, Adelaide, Belvoir Street Theatre, Ernabella, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, Space Theatre, Adelaide with Big hART |
| 2008 | Salamanca | | Broome, WA with Stalker Theatre Company |
| 2007 | Long Black Lab workshop | | |
| 2009–10 | Nyuntu Ngali (You We Two) | Petrol (Narrator) | Space Theatre, Adelaide, Wharf 2 Theatre, Sydney with Windmill Performing Arts & Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2009 | Burning Daylight | | Goolarri Outdoor Venue, Broome, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Carriageworks, Arts House Meat Market, Melbourne, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart with Marrugeku Company & Stalker Theatre Company |
| 2010–11 | Waltzing the Wilarra | Charlie | Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth with Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre |
| 2010–13 | Namatjira | Albert Namatjira | Belvoir Street Theatre Sydney, Riverside Theatre Parramatta, Rotterdam, Holland, Malthouse Theatre Melbourne, Canberra Theatre Centre, Theatre North, Launceston, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Adelaide Festival Centre, Australian regional tour & Southbank Centre, London with Big hART |
| 2011 | As You Like It | Adam & Duke Senior | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 2012 | Ngapartji Ngapartji | Narrator / Creator | Playhouse, Canberra, Canberra Theatre Centre with Big hART |
| 2013 | Storm Boy | Fingerbone Bill | Wharf 1 Theatre & Perth with Sydney Theatre Company & Barking Gecko Theatre Company |
| 2013–14 | Hipbone Sticking Out | John Pat | Canberra Theatre Centre, Playhouse, Melbourne with Big hART |
| 2013, 2016, 2017 | The Secret River | Ngalamalum | Roslyn Packer Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company for Sydney Festival, Playhouse Canberra, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth for Perth Festival, Playhouse QPAC, Brisbane, Anstey Quarry Adelaide for Adelaide Festival |
| 2014 | Dirtsong | | Black Arm Band for Adelaide Festival |
| 2014 | 20 Questions | Guest artist | Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 2016 | Kaya | Dancer | Kalgoorlie, Dolphin Theatre UWA, Perth |
| 2017–18 | The Season | Senior Ranger Richard | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Festival, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Melbourne Festival, Hopgood Theatre Adelaide |
| 2017 | Coranderrk | Narrator / Performer | Canberra Theatre Centre with Ilbijerri Theatre Company & Belvoir Theatre Company for NORPA |
| 2018 | Brothers Wreck | David, the Counsellor | Odeon Theatre, Adelaide, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with STCSA |
| 2020 | Jeremy | | Online - Australia with STCSA |
| 2020 | Max | | Online - Australia with STCSA |
| 2022 | Voss | Dugald | Festival Theatre, Adelaide with State Opera of South Australia & Victorian Opera |

## Awards & nominations

| Year | Title | Award | Category | Result |
| 2008 | Ngapartji Ngapartji | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Actor in a Lead Role | Won |
| 2008 | Ngapartji Ngapartji | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Mainstage Production | Nominated |
| 2008 | Ngapartji Ngapartji | Deadly Awards 2008 | Most Outstanding Achievement in Film, TV and Theatre | Won |
| 2008 | Ngapartji Ngapartji | Deadly Awards 2008 | Best Script | Nominated |
| 2010 | Namatjira | Sydney Theatre Awards | Best Leading Man | Nominated |
| 2020 | Ayaan | South Australian Screen Awards | Best Male Performance | Won |
| 2020 | Ayaan | St Kilda Short Film Festival | Best Actor | Nominated |
| 2021 | A Small Punch in a Littie Town | Northern Virginia International Film & Music Festival | Festival Award for Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated |
| 2021 | A Small Punch in a Littie Town | Hollywood Dreamz International Film Festival | Outstanding Cast Performance Feature | Nominated |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Sumner often represents Kaurna people too.