The Cake Man facts for kids

The Cake Man is a very important play from 1975. It was written by Aboriginal Australian writer Bob Merritt. This play was the first ever written by an Indigenous Australian person to be published, shown on TV, and to travel outside of Australia. A TV movie was even made from a performance of the play in 1977. Bob Merritt and Brian Syron created the Aboriginal Theatre Company especially to take The Cake Man on a tour to the United States in 1982.

How the Play Started

Bob Merritt wrote The Cake Man while he was staying at the Bathurst Gaol. He had some help from another writer named Jim McNeil.

What the Play is About

The play begins with a scene from the early days of white settlement in Australia. A missionary gives a Bible to an Aboriginal woman whose husband has just been shot by a British soldier.

The main story is about Sweet William, a sad Aboriginal man living in Sydney today. He lives with his wife, Ruby, and their children. They still follow Christianity. Sweet William has lost his self-respect and the respect of his 11-year-old son, Pumpkinhead.

Part of the story comes from Bob Merritt's own childhood. He grew up on the Erambie Mission near Cowra, New South Wales. The "Cake Man" is a special character in the play. He is sent by Jesus with gifts of love for Aboriginal children. But a bad person has made him blind, so he can only see white children when he travels through the bush.

The play mixes Bible stories with traditional Dreamtime stories. The Cake Man represents the hope of Christian love that Ruby believes in. The story shows a family trying hard to live on a mission.

How the Play Feels

A person who studied Aboriginal theatre described the play's style. They said The Cake Man moves between different times and places. It shows both the time before Europeans arrived and the later "protection eras." Sweet William calls these "two realities."

Characters sometimes step out of the story to talk directly to the audience. Songs and Dreamtime stories help show these "two realities." Even though the play shows the hard parts of mission life, it has a hopeful feeling, not a bitter one.

Performances of the Play

Early Shows (1975–1982)

The Cake Man was the first full-length play put on by the National Black Theatre. Its first performances were at the Black Theatre Arts and Culture Centre in Redfern, Sydney. The first show was on January 12, 1975. Bob Maza directed it, and Brian Syron played Sweet William.

Bob Merritt attended the opening night, escorted by prison guards. The actors refused to start the play until Merritt's handcuffs were removed.

In 1977, George Ogilvie directed a new production at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre. This was a big moment! It was the first play by an Indigenous Australian writer shown by professional actors at a major Australian theatre. On opening night, April 29, 1977, many people came. This included Mum Shirl and Paul Coe, who had lived at Erambie Mission like Merritt. They both spoke about how much the play meant to them. Paul Coe said, "This play means more to me than my life."

After playing for six weeks in Sydney, the show toured to other states. It was even invited to the Negro Ensemble Company's theatre in New York City. This production, with Brian Syron as Sweet William and Justine Saunders as Ruby, was filmed by ABC Television.

In July 1982, The Cake Man played at the Parade Theatre in Kensington. This was a practice run before its tour to the United States. Brian Syron said the play was "about dispossessed people everywhere." Later that month, the play was performed at the World Theatre Festival in Denver, Colorado. Justine Saunders played Ruby again, a role she loved.

The tour was mostly paid for by groups like the Aboriginal Arts Board and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. Brian Syron and Bob Merritt had formed the Aboriginal Theatre Company to put on the play. They worked hard to get enough money. Syron even used his own home to help pay for the tour. They hoped to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

In October 1982, the play was also shown at the Edward Street Theatre in Brisbane. Brian Syron and Justine Saunders were still in the main roles.

21st Century Shows

In 2012, a special reading of the play was done by Moogahlin Performing Arts. This was part of the Sydney Festival. On January 16, 2015, Moogahlin did another reading at Eora College in Redfern. This college was founded by Bob Merritt, and the reading marked 40 years since the play first opened.

The play was also brought back for performances in Sydney and Perth in 2013. This was a joint show by Belvoir and Yirra Yaakin. Luke Carroll played Sweet William and Irma Woods played Ruby. George Shevtsov, who was in the first production, also took part. Kyle Morrison directed this new version. The Perth show was the first time The Cake Man had been performed in Western Australia.

The Film Version

The 1977 performance of The Cake Man at Bondi Pavilion was made into a TV movie by ABC Television. Douglas Sharp directed it. You can find copies of the film at the National Archives of Australia and the AIATSIS.

Bob Merritt helped produce the film, along with Douglas Sharp and two others. Brian Syron played Sweet William and Justine Saunders played Ruby, just like in the stage play. The film was released on October 9, 1977.

This was the first time a play by an Aboriginal writer was made into a TV production in Australia.