Thomas Weatherall, best known for his role as Malakai Mitchell in Netflix's Heartbreak High reboot, shares an intimate story of grief, masculinity, adolescence and piecing the world together in his self-written play Blue.
The work a represents a shift for the 22-year-old from being in front of the camera adopting someone else's character to an intimate expression of experiences close to his own.
"I like to refer to it as very personal fiction, kind of what the structure of the play and the events that happen aren't completely fiction and fabricated but some of the experiences emotionally and mentally that take place is kind of drawn from my life and that of friends, family and other people," Mr Weatherall said.
The Kamilaroi actor's culture had an marked influence on the writing.
"I think there's always that voice in the back of your head that goes you're a young Indigenous performer, you're not just a young performer," he said.
"There's not many of us and there's still a lot of negative preconceptions and stereotypes and thoughts around that.
(Left to right) Beckett's chef Jeff Schroeter, co-owner Wendy Beckett and Thomas Weatherall
image: provided via Belinda Rolland
"I wanted it (Blue) to have an openness that everyone could identify with and hoping that through that you can sit back identifying and recognising the story, but it's not a white man telling me this story.
"I think that's a really powerful tool because a lot of people can kind of pull out when they're watching stories that are made by Indigenous people or frame them as one thing and not another, and then not as accessible for everyone, when really they are. It's like every other work."
On Thursday he gave a glimpse of the play to lucky diners with excerpts performed between tables at Beckett's in Sydney for their vignette dinner-theatre series.
Wiradjuri and Wongaibon artist Graeme Toomey gave a Welcome to Country and reflected on the new opportunities to being presented to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to perform in esteemed environments.
Blue opens at Belvoir Street Theatre, who named Mr Weatherall their 2021 Balnaves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellow, on January 14 for a two-week run.
