Growing up in Wollongong, Nathan has always felt a connection to nature.
“I grew up in Mount Keira, kind of right at the foot of it. Birds have always been a big part of my life. I think both aspects of the Illawarra, the mountains and the sea, particularly have been a big part of why I love nature, growing up in the yard that got visited by cat birds, and pigeons, and all sorts of things.”
The Birdsong of Tomorrow project came about when Nathan began to really look at how birds have existed in his life, and many others, for an incredibly long time. The piece captures a true interconnection between science and the arts to create a space of exploration and beauty.
“I’m looking at a currawong right now in my backyard. I think it’s special that these animals are just kind of around us and they have song and memory and culture. I think that’s very special.”
The play also contains a sense of the deeply personal for Nathan. A self-confessed “pathological birdwatcher”, this passion translates directly to audiences.
“Last year, my dad and I did this birdwatching trip on a boat. We left Kiama and went 30 kilometres out and saw albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels. I was seasick for eight hours but it was still an incredible trip.”
Nathan also explores identity and culture throughout the play.
“I think a big part of this show is, for me, figuring out what it means to be alive at this moment, but also, what does it mean to live on the country that I live on? I grew up on Dharawal land, I live on Gadigal lands now. Trying to navigate what that relationship is, as a white person, but also trying to use a connection to nature to think about that as something that might be productive and about forging connection.”
For audiences, Nathan hopes that people leave the play looking differently at the natural world around them.
“I hope people leave sharing a sense of wonder about the things that are around us.”
– Nathan Harrison
“When we did a showing of this about a year ago, when it was still very early, a few days later, a friend of mine messaged and said, ‘I’ve just been lying in bed all morning, listening to the birds outside my house. I’ve never listened to them like this before’. I think that’s what I would love for people to take from [the show].”
Nathan also credits the play to his fellow creatives, Emma McManus, Tom Hogan, Solomon Thomas, Clare Britton and Troy Reid who have all worked together to bring the piece to fruition. Working under the umbrella of MerrigongX has provided the group the space to explore, develop and produce Birdsong of Tomorrow.
“There’s something about working with people who are equally passionate, and it creates an amazing energy when you all work together,” says Nathan.
“I’ve worked with MerrigongX as an artist for about a decade now. Even in primary school, I was going there to do drama lessons. I have a long relationship with the company. Merrigong is special – they’re invested in helping you make something that’s good They put a lot of faith and trust in artists and really support you to make something that is hopefully interesting and worthwhile. It feels like coming home.”
22 to 24 August, 7.30pm
Bruce Gordon Theatre, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre
For this event there is no set ticket price. Instead, simply reserve a spot, show up, thenpay what you feel the performance is worth afterwards.
For Illawarra bespoke architectural builder, Shane Simpson, of Simpson & Co Projects, the long-trusted client partnerships forged in the Illawarra mean a whole lot. That’s what led him to his recent project in Sydney that is crafted to generate award-winning buzz in the world of premium architectural builds
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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Dharawal Country. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. The original storytellers.
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