Fred Smith. The Canberra Theatre Centre. 13 Jul 2013
I think it’s fair to say that many Australians wouldn’t know a great deal about the lives and struggles of their Northern neighbours in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, let alone our connection with them. However, telling the untold stories from conflict zones on the world map is somewhat of a speciality for self-proclaimed “mission junkie” Fred Smith, providing a dedicated conduit for their shrouded voices.
Chosen by the Canberra Theatre Centre as part of the Canberra Centenary Collected Works series, Peace in the Pacific marks the tenth anniversary of the withdrawal of Australian and New Zealand peacekeeping forces from Bougainville in 2003 and the start of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
Predominately a live performance of Smith’s Bagarap Empires and Independence Park albums, as well as some extra material, this work chronicles his time as a diplomat with the Australian Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville during its eight year civil war, and celebrates Australia’s contribution to returning peace to the troubled island.
Armed with only a guitar during his mission, Smith used his extraordinary talent as a musician to reach out and connect with the locals in Bougainville to help end the cycle of violence. In turn, he received an abundance of inspiration for his boundless song writing that he subsequently penned in eloquent detail – and the rest they say is history.
While there is much sentiment and poignancy weaved throughout the bittersweet lyrics of each song, the subject matter of Peace in the Pacific is not sugar coated. With a philosopher’s heart, Smith writes from an observer’s viewpoint and is frank in his assessment of the crisis. However, this was delivered with his trademark ability to see the wry humour in the everyday and tendency for self-deprecation, keeping the mood above board.
Any public servant worth their weight in gold knows how to rock a power point presentation, and Smith utilised this tool throughout the show to great effect. Having been given scores of photographs from other Australians involved in the peacekeeping mission, we were treated to an insightful and candid slide show of people, places and moments.
Many of these Australians were actually present this particular evening, and could be heard murmuring in recognition and agreement during Smith’s anecdote-rich narration. One strongly sensed the camaraderie and bond that remained between those involved in such a life changing experience, and it made the performance that much more intimate.
But even those of us without a connection to this aspect of Australia’s history were given a chance to participate, with some comically cheerful sing-alongs in pidgin. Particularly enjoyable was the song inspired by the Bougainville people’s love of Bob Marley, Bulamacow (Cow), that previously served as a bridging tool between cultures (as did the other sing-along, Mr Circle), but also proved to bridge performer with audience as they rose to their feet to sway with the catchy Rasta beat. Smith clearly relishing the absurdity; he hammed it up for the crowd and plastered more than a few smiles on faces.
The seven piece backing band, including long-time collaborator Liz Frencham on backing vocals and double bass, Graham Reynolds blasting the trumpet, Jon Jones on drums, Gemma Clare on cello, Pandora Holliday on violin, Silas Palmer on keyboard and Fiete Geier on electric guitar were also tremendous. Together they seamlessly navigated the vast terrain of musical styles, ranging from Rasta, blues, rock, folk and melancholy ballads, and made for chillaxed stage companions.
The set overall gave a sense of closure, running the gamut of emotion and coming full circle at the conclusion with the serenely reflective, The Infinite Ocean and the war and peace epic, Century Girl, for encore. But Peace in the Pacific ended on a literally happy note, with the final sing-along of the evening, Hamamas (Happy).
Part entertainment, part lesson in Pacific history, this latest offering from Fred Smith is an absolute treasure trove of stories that proudly chronicles a new era of cooperation between Australia and Papua New Guinea and extracts meaning for those of us unaware of its significance. Some heartfelt speeches at the end of the evening also demonstrated that the significance of this relationship is not a one-way street.
Canberra is fortunate to have such a magnificent storyteller within its public service ranks. So much of the good work that flows out of the capital is drowned out by more inane matters, has an unappealing official flavour or simply goes unpublicised. Smith has modestly broken through these confines with Peace in the Pacific to point out an achievement we can all take immense pride in.
Deborah Hawke
When: Closed
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre
Bookings: Closed
