Melbourne Festival | In Between Two
A CAAP Production
Two trailblazing stars of the Australian music scene survey the forces that have shaped their way.
TZU’s Joelistics and ARIA-nominated producer James Mangohig are icons of Australian hip hop and their family histories are as complex and layered as their lyrics. Both half-Asian, their respective heritages are woven through their experiences growing up in Australia.
From a nightclub-owning grandma in an open marriage to globetrotting parents with a political streak, the pair lovingly paint a canvas filled with failed proposals and religious strictures, casual racism and empowerment through music.
Like an hour with good friends—who just happen to have impeccable taste in tunes—this is a show that keeps to the beat of the human heart.
“Nothing is more satisfying than stories about people who defied cultural and social conventions to follow their hearts.” - Time Out Sydney
Feedback/Comments
Loved it! Amazing performance by James and Joel. Beautiful stories that need to be shared with everyone with the same background.
Incredible. Moving, funny, heart warming. Great musicians, better story tellers.
More than I expected. Wonderful delivery. Moved me to tears. Well done guys xxx
was a great story and well delivered
I have posted my comments previously...it was a genuinely original production that we enjoyed very much.
Really interesting and enlightening. Funny and serious at the same time and good mix of story telling and songs. Would recommend to others
Truly insightful show that painted a wonderful picture of peoples journeys and experiances
An enjoyable night out. We really enjoyed it
Excellent story telling!
Was absolutely amazing! Entertaining from start to finish, recommended to anyone interested in Family history and music.
Great stories. Very entertaining. Took my mum, wasn't sure at first what she'd think of it, but she loved it!
An honest, humorous & heartfelt musical retelling of the life stories of popular socially conscious hip hop musicians & their unconventional families of these Asian-Australian performers in the time of increased racial discrimination.
Didn't really know what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised by how thoughtful, entertaining and poignant this show was. Highly recommended.
Fabulous stories and true to life experiences and feelings explored in this interesting and very real performance.
great story telling skills and great story i could so relate to this migrant story/journey. Funny yet poignant themes !!! welldone !
It was interesting to listen to the family stories. Very heart-warming way of telling.
a very entertaining lively production at The Arts Centre ...
two young Asian guys appear on the stage in jeans and runners ...
they are very relaxed and play their instruments ...
each take it in turn to tell their individual stories about their heritage and parents' story - how they meet, where they lived and what their parents did. It is accompanied by photos on the screen ...
some of the stories are funny, some sad and some fascinating ...
they each tell their story in a direct way ...
the other listening or playing their instrument ...
they dance around ...
talk to the audience about their experiences in Australia and how they dealt with their new country and peoples' prejudices ...
the stories are relatable and universal ...
the style of the production is unique and energetic ...
both talk about how important music is to them personally and how it profoundly influenced their lives ...
with a running time of 75 minutes ...
a standing ovation ...
Great show!
Excellent show. Lots of talent. Definitely recommend it.
Very good, a mix of music and storytelling with some poignant moments
Enthralling mix of storytelling, history, social commentary and musical performance.
Joel and James are captivating in their delivery style, audience interaction, easy going humour and honest sarcasm. Magnificent theatre and a real privilege to have shared their stories.
Familial history told through narrative, music and photographs. It was intimate, funny, and just plain cool.
Captivated the entire time! Music, expression, articulation - all were amazing.
These are Australian stories. Real, raw, & entertaining. Completely inspired by Joel & James' talents & achievements.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Great story tellers.
Bringing back the lost art of story telling, intimate, thought provoking, in your face truth of racist hurts, of learning to deal with other's small mindedness, of cultural roots, family and the highs and lows of too much or too little, hip hop hooray!!! Highly recommended show.
Fantastic story tellers
Captivating storytelling and energetic performances from James and Joel, who painted complex portraits of growing up with mixed backgrounds in Australia. Definitely a must see at Melbourne Festival!