Leah Purcell has brought extraordinary First Nations’ stories to light in an incredible career on stage and screen.
The value of blood and culture: Multi-award-winning playwright, actor, director, screenwriter and producer Leah Purcell has brought extraordinary First Nations’ stories to light in an incredible career on stage and screen. Purcell reveals it’s her people, her roots and her country that inspire her and bring her joy. Together, they make her a compelling storyteller.
What’s your favourite destination and why?
Phuket for a holiday, for the wonderful sun and surf, amazing food and lovely people. And going home to Ban Ban Springs [in Queensland], Wakka Wakka Country, my spiritual homeland and [place for] Women’s Business.
Who or what has been your greatest creative inspiration?
My family comes from an ancient line of First Nations storytellers, so it’s in my blood. And that is where a lot of the inspiration for the cultural elements in my work comes from. I was born with that inspiration.
What was your finest hour?
I have many. To name a few: The birth of my daughter; meeting my partner of 31 years; printing my finished first draft of my play script and the screen play for The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson.
How do you keep your head together?
When I live by a schedule!!!!LOL!
What is your most influential piece of literature, movie, music and piece of theatre?
If you are talking about what influenced me, it is Alex Haley’s Roots. I was seven years old [and] I was watching it with my mother, and she was crying. I asked her why. She said the violence, the brutality, and people being taken from their homelands happened to us, our mob here in Australia. I became aware of my Peoples’ plight very early in my life. My Peoples’ plight is at the heart of my work. If you are talking about my own work, it would have been [the hugely successful one-woman show] Box the Pony. It was a game breaker for me, and it was part of a new wave of First Nations storytelling that came out of the 1990s.
What makes you happy?
The simple things in life and a good sleep.
What performance changed your life?
A Murgon High School Musical in 1979. The musical was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. My sister in-law took me to see her sister in the play. I was nine years old. We sat in the fourth row in the Murgon Town Hall, and I thought it was the best thing in the world and that’s what I wanted to do, act, sing and dance on stage! The Doris Day of Murgon, Queensland.
What performance of yours are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my performance as writer, actor, director and producer (I did my own fight stunts) for my debut feature film, The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson.
