Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following article contains the names of people who have passed away. 

The world premiere of Daniel Riley’s Tracker is a profound experience in which the audience is transported by the raw power of storytelling. Its main protagonist is the young Archie, based on Riley and played here by Abbie-lee Lewis, who returns to Country to uncover the truth about his great-great uncle Alexander “Tracker” Riley. It is the story of a Wiradjuri man, told entirely by First Nations artists and co-produced by Riley’s Australian Dance Theatre and ILBIJERRI Theatre Company.

Kaine Sultan-Babij and Tyrel Dulvarie in Tracker. Photo © Pedro Greig

Tracker Riley’s story is a cautionary tale that highlights the consequences of getting into bed with the enemy. Ursula Yovich and Amy Sole’s text invites the audience to ponder how a First Nations man could work alongside the colonial police force, using his tracking skills to locate missing persons, stolen goods, murder victims and wanted criminals, including those among his own people. Tracker Riley, referred to here as Uncle Alec, was famously involved in the capture of another Wiradjuri man,...