A 114-year-old Australian novel in Chinese becomes a play for today

09/05/2023 54 min
A 114-year-old Australian novel in Chinese becomes a play for today

Listen "A 114-year-old Australian novel in Chinese becomes a play for today"

Episode Synopsis


The Poison of Polygamy is an action-packed Australian novel that was serialised in 1909 in a Chinese-language newspaper — the heroes and villains are all Chinese migrants making a new start in Australia. So how does this novel challenge or enrich our sense of our own colonial past?Also, Opera Australia are bringing Philip Glass's Satyagraha to the stage for the first time in the company's history. It's inspired by the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Tenor Shanul Sharma and conductor Tahu Rhodes join us in the music studio to share their insights into Glass's beguiling score.