On the night before his execution, Ned Kelly sits in his grimy cell at Old Melbourne Gaol when his brother Dan, who Ned believes died at Glenrowan, visits disguised as a priest.
Dan is seeking his brother's forgiveness before fleeing to Queensland to put his ugly past behind him, with a new name and a new life. While history states Dan Kelly perished in the Glenrowan Hotel fire, Queensland playwright Matthew Ryan explores Dan’s betrayal, escape and plans for a new life in 'Kelly'.
It was over a century ago when Ned and his three gang members made their famous last stand at Glenrowan. On June 26, 1880, the boys held up the town in a two-day gun battle with the Victorian Police; the showdown condemned Ned to the gallows, with Joe Byrne, Steve Hart and Dan Kelly all presumably dead.
Ned Kelly has never faded from national consciousness. Indeed the passing years have served only to build Kelly's legendary stature because he had so many qualities ordinary Australians admire his family loyalty, readiness to sacrifice himself for his mates, and as Australia’s most famous bushranger, he lived his life bucking the system. However, 'Kelly' suggests Ned’s brother Dan wasn’t as ready to lay down his life for his comrades and escaped the siege at Glenrowan, leaving Ned awaiting the hangman's noose.
In this new look at Australia’s greatest bushrangers, the Queensland Theatre Company production tours regional south east Queensland with a fresh take on the classic Kelly Gang. Bringing the legend to life, QTC Artistic Director Wesley Enoch says 'Kelly' takes us on a quest to explore the Australian cult hero in a new light.
“Kelly gets our national conscience ticking at a different tempo, we begin to weigh up one brother’s self-proclaimed cowardice against the other’s bravery ... It is Dan’s request for a blessing that is not an easy ask, especially given his escape from Glenrowan without rescuing his famous and revered brother Ned.”
