Through co-directing The Hate Race, Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) alum Tariro Mavondo is spotlighting the racism that marks Australian history while helping to foster an inclusive future.
It’s a particularly meaningful role for the Zimbabwean born and Narrm raised artist, as she has a long-standing connection to the original memoir that the play is adapted from.
“For me, it was a no brainer; the memoir had been pivotal literature in my life as a Black woman who grew up in Australia,” said Tariro.
Tariro Mavondo.
What’s more, Tariro already felt a sense of kinship with the memoir and play’s author, Maxine Beneba-Clarke. “I adore Maxine who has been a mentor of mine previously,” she said.
The early explorative stages of producing the play were particularly memorable for Tariro.
“The initial conceptual stage of the different design elements between fellow Co-Director Courtney Stewart, the creatives and myself was a highlight,” she said.
“That stage of the process for me was so deliciously vibrant, vivid and enlivening.”
Contrarily, watching the play take shape also gave Tariro great satisfaction. “Seeing how concrete and specific every choice became as we got closer to opening night was so much fun,” she said.
The Hate Race is a story that Tariro is passionate about sharing. While it depicts the devastating impacts of racism and bullying on Black communities in Australia, ultimately it promotes inclusion.
“Maxine has generously offered an invitation that anyone from any walk of life can access,” explained Tariro.
“The play asks us to see ourselves not as an exercise of shame, but one of reconciliation where we are pulled together by the thread of our humanity.”
Leveraging community strength
Tariro’s eagerness to collaborate with her mentor was met with generosity, as the VCA alum said Maxine wholeheartedly handed her story over to the creative team.
“There were times that we were pitching for quite big changes to the text in specific scenes where Maxine was in the room to approve,” she shared.
“For some scenes there was a healthy back and forth, which made the rehearsal space robust and fertile.”
VCA alum Zahra Newman (left) and Kuda Mapeza (right) performing in The Hate Race.
Throughout the process, Tariro and Maxine carefully sought to find the right compromise between the serious and the light-hearted in the stage version of The Hate Race.
“We were all on the same page in making the piece balanced between cathartic, hard-hitting moments and humour,” said Tariro.
“Racism when you unpack it is quite absurd, so we leaned into the absurdity.”
Like Tariro, Maxine felt privileged to work with the team of creative collaborators on the stage production of The Hate Race.
“Theatre is such a collaborative process, and being able to watch all of these different areas unfold and meet to form a finished production has been a real joy,” said Maxine.
“There’s just so much you don’t know before you get into the rehearsal room, and I really believe we just had the right team in the room for this production.”
Prior to rehearsals, it took some time for Maxine to adapt her original memoir into a play.
After going through many iterations, Maxine eventually knew she had to take an approach that honoured her roots as a spoken word poet.
“The stage adaptation of The Hate Race is very different to the memoir, and yet somehow, very similar,” shared Maxine.
“It has the same essence, and leaves you with that same feeling, but employs things you can’t do on the page – like music, beats and spoken word.”
Maxine Beneba-Clarke.
Like Tariro, Maxine reflected on the importance of The Hate Race in delivering a hopeful message amongst the heaviness of the story.
“The Hate Race is a work of Black joy as much as it is a work about discrimination” she said.
“We hope that those who have encountered bullying and othering of any kind feel seen, and those who haven’t feel a renewed conviction to foster kindness and good in the world.”
University ties
Beyond her award-winning memoir, Maxine is also an accomplished poet, and her role at the University’s Faculty of Arts recognises this work.
“Being Poet in Residence at the University is an honour,” said Maxine.
“In addition to being able to be part of university life through occasionally being a guest lecturer, visiting university residences to talk poetry, or writing a poetic address for graduating Arts students, it’s a generous investment into the poetry work that I do.”
The fact that the University places this value and importance on the art of poetry through its residency is very meaningful to Maxine.
“It’s to me a recognition that the Faculty of Arts sees the value not just in poetry as a subject, but in supporting those who create it to spread it more widely.”
Tariro also reflects fondly on her ties to the University, namely her Bachelor of Dramatic Arts degree and a ‘life story’ performance she completed during her second year.
“I performed it under the bridge at Southbank. It was a subversive act critiquing the long-standing caricature of black people particularly the representation in the entertainment industry – busking in black face and dressed in a yellow shirt, black trousers, red bowtie and oversized red lips,” shared Tariro.
“I performed my migration story, introduced my parents and the many people who had been crucial in my life journey.
“It was important that staff and students knew the historical exclusion of black people in the industry that I was about to embark on and connecting that to my story of resilience.
“In that moment having control of my story, I was really seen.”
And throughout her career, the learnings that Tariro has been able to apply from her undergraduate studies continue to astonish her.
“I underestimated how important it is to have solid foundations in voice, movement and acting,” she shared.
“My VCA training has been the structure and building blocks of my approach to practice in all creative and non-creative things I do, and over the years, different parts of the training have fully dropped in.”
Zahra Newman performing in The Hate Race.
Creating space
Outside of the play itself, the pair are also working together on Labrish, the Malthouse Theatre’s community program for the season of The Hate Race curated by Amarantha Robinson.
“The program includes free workshops with myself and Tariro for young creatives from diverse and marginalised backgrounds,” shared Maxine.
Both women are motivated to continue creating art that cultivates community and inclusion, but Tariro hopes to do so by following her mentor’s lead.
“Step by step, I am hoping to release my first published collection of poetry! Maxine through her brilliance has inspired me to tell my story,” shared Tariro.
And while Maxine isn’t certain what form her next creative project will take, she has a clear vision for its impact.
“I’d love to be able to keep making the kind of creative work I think is needed, and to keep creating the space to encourage and equip others to so the same.”
The Hate Race is running at the Malthouse theatre until 17 March 2024.
Visit the website to learn more and book tickets.