Our History

In Beauty It Is Finished La Boite Encores

28 Apr 2025

The La Boite Encores series opened on 28 April with In Beauty It Is Finished by George Landen Dann, a play that sparked controversy long before its 1931 premiere due to its candid language and ground breaking portrayal of a relationship between a young white woman and an Aboriginal man.

Long before opening night in 1931, the play's blunt language and realistic portrayal of a young white prostitute and an Aboriginal man sparked media outrage, with the publication Smith's Weekly labeling it a “Sordid Drama of Miscegenation.”

The article even suggested the judging committee should have disposed of it "with a pair of tongs”and that “… it is a matter for action by the police”.

First directed by Barbara Sisley (La Boite’s co-founder) and returning to our stage in 1977 both productions were controversially performed in blackface.

In 2025 this powerful reading will be directed by proud Butchulla man Aidan Rowlingson and for the first time read by a First Nations cast.

In The La Boite Encore Play Reading Series, actors take the stage with scripts in hand, bringing landmark plays to life through dynamic, varied, polished performances.

While not full productions, these readings are set to be a lively celebration of theatre in its rawest form and a tribute to the plays that have shaped La Boite through the years.