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Tom E. Lewis

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Tom E. Lewis
Born
Balang Lewis

(1958-08-25)25 August 1958
Ngukurr, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
Died10 May 2018(2018-05-10) (aged 59–60)
Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia
Occupation(s)Actor, musician, artistic director, arts and culture philanthropist

Tom E. Lewis (25 August 1958 – 10 May 2018), also known by his traditional name Balang Lewis, and sometimes credited as Tommy Lewis was an Aboriginal Australian actor, musician, and artistic director. His first major role was the title role in the 1978 Fred Schepisi film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, and in 2006 he was the recipient of a Red Ochre Award from the Australia Council for the Arts. He released two albums: Sunshine After Rain (2005) and Beneath the Sun (2013), and was the founding director of Djilpin Arts in Beswick, Northern Territory.

Early life

[edit]

Balang Lewis, also known as Balang T.E. Lewis[1][2] or Tom E. Lewis, was born on 25 August 1958 on the banks of the Roper River in Ngukurr, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.[2][3] His father was a Welsh stockman called Hurtle Lewis,[2] who managed the cattle station his mother worked at.[4] His mother, artist Angelina George, was of the Murrungun, Wandarrang, and Mara peoples.[2] After Lewis' mother fell pregnant, his father left, and his mother fled to a mission to give birth and raise Lewis for the first seven years of his life.[4] He was brought up in traditional culture in Arnhem Land.[5]

When his mother remarried, the three of them relocated to a cattle station and his mother had four other children. At the age of 12, Lewis met his birth father for the first time in Borroloola. That same year, his stepfather passed away, and Lewis was forced to leave school, in order to support the family.[4] He worked as a bricklayer and stockman,[5] and then went to Belyuen in Darwin to work as an assistant motor mechanic.[1][4] At the age of 17, with his boss's encouragement, Lewis applied to study motor mechanics at Melbourne’s Swinburne College, but his skills proved too advanced for the course.[4]

Lewis was eventually talent-spotted at Melbourne Airport by Fred and Rhonda Schepisi, and was subsequently cast in the 1978 film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.[4]

Career

[edit]

Theatre

[edit]

On 3 May 1985, Lewis appeared alongside Ernie Dingo, Richard Walley, Justine Saunders, and others in Bullie's House at Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut, United States.[6]

From around 1989,[7] he spent many years working in the Melbourne theatre scene, having worked with Playbox (later Malthouse), Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne Workers Theatre, and Handspan Theatres.[8]

In 1997, Lewis acted in Up the Ladder, written by Roger Bennett and directed by Wesley Enoch, which toured Victoria and New South Wales.[9][7]

With Handspan, he devised the internationally successful Lift 'Em Up Socks, a semi-autobiographical multi-media work that premiered in April 2000.[8][7][10] He performed on stage with a marionette operated by Rod Primrose.[11]

In May 2006, he played Othello at the Amphitheatre of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, in the Darwin Theatre Company's production of Shakespeare's classic directed by John du Feu.[12]

In 2012, he starred alongside Helen Morse in Tim Winton's Signs of Life, a Black Swan Theatre / Sydney Theatre Company co-production,[13] which toured Western Australia before a final performance in the Sydney Opera House.[7]

In 2013, Lewis co-created, with Michael Kantor for Malthouse Theatre, a play titled The Shadow King,[14][15] described as "an Indigenous version of King Lear".[16][3] The play premiered at the Melbourne Festival in October 2013,[14] before touring around the country, playing at Carriageworks for the Sydney Festival,[15] Her Majesty's Theatre for the Adelaide Festival,[17] and also in Perth, Katherine, Brisbane, and Darwin, all in 2014.[7] In June 2016, the Malthouse Theatre production, directed by Kantor and with most of the original cast, was performed in the Barbican Theatre in London.[18][19][20][21]

Film

[edit]

The lead role in the Fred Schepisi's 1978 film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith was Lewis' first film role,[3] after he had been spotted by casting director Rhonda Schepisi, wife of the director.[22]

In 2007 he co-directed, with Julia Morris, a music video, Warrk Warrk (Black Crow), and in 2008 directed a short film, One River, All Rivers. Both were screened at the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada.[23]

He co-wrote (with his wife Fleur Parry) a 25-minute documentary film, Yellow Fella, about his experience of coming from a mixed race heritage,[24][25] for which he was awarded the 2005 Bob Maza Fellowship by the Australian Film Commission.[26] Directed by Ivan Sen, it was selected to screen at the Cannes Film Festival, the first Australian Indigenous documentary ever chosen for Official Selection.[27]

He had roles in We of the Never Never (1982), The Proposition (2005), and Crocodile Dreaming (2006),[8] and played one of the leading roles in the psychological thriller Red Hill (2010).[28] He was also in Goldstone, directed by Ivan Sen (2016).[3] One of his last major acting roles was in Boori Monty Pryor's 2018 four-part comedy drama miniseries Wrong Kind of Black.[29]

In 2014 the hour-long documentary film about the life of didgeridoo player David Blanasi, Kundirri: The Life and Legacy of David Blanasi was released by Djilpin Arts.[30][31][32] The film was co-written by Lewis and his wife Fleur Parry, co-directed by Lewis and Julia Morris, and co-produced by Parry and Morris.[33]

Finding Maawirrangga (2017) is a documentary short written by Lewis and co-directed by Dylan River Glynn McDonald. It was produced by Julia Morris, and executive produced by Fleur Parry, and screened at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival[34] and 2018 Flickerfest.[35] After his death in May 2018, it screened at the inaugural Northern Territory Travelling Film Festival in June of that year. The film tells of Lewis' return to his grandmother's country to learn his songlines, and in it he also relates how he contravened some cultural norms on stage.[36]

His final movie role was in the documentary-drama The Skin of Others directed by Tom Murray, released posthumously in 2020 after Lewis had died during the making of the film. He played the lead role of Indigenous WW1 hero Douglas Grant, while also commenting on the state of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations from his own personal perspective. A reviewer in The Guardian wrote: "...one leaves the film with a powerful impression of Lewis as an artist and an intellect; as a person fascinated by stories and compelled towards the process of artistic creation".[37]

Music

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Lewis played the didgeridu, flute, clarinet, and guitar.[38][39][40] In the 1990s he toured in acclaimed jazz duo, Lewis & Young, through Europe, Asia, and Australia.[39][40] He has played with Jane Rutter, Eve Duncan, Uli Klein, and composer George Dreyfus.[38]

In 2005, he released the album Sunshine After Rain through label Skinnyfish Music.[41] In 2013, he released Beneath the Sun, also through the Skinnyfish label.[42]

He plays didgeridu on the albums Recorded Messages: Violin (2000), played by violinist Eve Duncan,[43] and Ambient Voice (2001), with vocals by Dean Frenkel.[44]

Other activities

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Lewis participated in the promotion of Melbourne's bid for the 1996 Olympic Games.[39] In 2000 he ran with the Olympic torch in Melbourne.[11]

Personal life

[edit]

Lewis was married to Fleur Parry,[36] a theatre manager.[39] They first met in the mid-1990s when both were involved in the Melbourne Fringe Festival. In 2000, when Parry was managing Handspan Theatre, Lewis walked in with an idea for a show. Before long, Parry was running the production, which toured Australia. A couple of years later, they became romantically involved.[45] They were married and had a daughter together. Lewis also had other children.[39]

In a 2007 interview, Lewis said that Northern Territory senator Bob Collins, who died a few days before he was due to face court on child sex abuse, had abused him as a child.[39] He went through a period of alcohol abuse and estrangement from his family and community.[10]

Later life, death and legacy

[edit]

Lewis, helped by his wife,[39] reclaimed his life and cultural traditions,[10] moving to Wugularr (Beswick) in South Arnhem Land, in 2001.[46]

Together with his wife, Lewis founded a cultural foundation, the Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation,[46][36] which hosts the Walking with Spirits festival at Beswick Falls each year.[47][39][48] Journalist Jeff McMullen, who was a long-time friend of Lewis,[22] was patron of the Walking with Spirits festival.[49] The organisation has been described "as one of his largest legacies".[22]

Lewis died of a heart attack on 10 May 2018, at age 59, in Katherine, Northern Territory.[5]

Recognition

[edit]

In 2000 Lewis was chosen to run with the Olympic torch in Melbourne.[11]

A photographic portrait of Lewis by Juno Gemes was purchased by the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra in 2021. The description says: "The magnetic and charming personality which made Lewis such a compelling and successful actor is captured in Juno Gemes' portrait. With his leather jacket, white shirt and aviator sunglasses, Lewis invokes the feeling of James Dean as he poses against a wall papered with posters announcing upcoming gigs at the Sydney Trade Union Club in Surry Hills".[50] Also held by the gallery is a photograph of an older Lewis, pulling a boat behind him, after "return[ing] to his grandmother's country to learn the songs of his ancestors". The photograph, taken by Philip Myers, was a finalist in the 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize.[51]

He was described in a Guardian article following his death as "a giant in the remote Arnhem Land community".[36]

Awards

[edit]
Year Nominated work Award Category Result
2005 Yellow Fella Bob Maza Fellowship Won
[52][26]
2006 Sunshine After Rain Northern Territory Indigenous Music Awards Music Release of the Year Won
[1]
Tom E. Lewis Red Ochre Award Outstanding Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal Australian or Torres Strait Islander) Artist for Lifetime Achievement Won
[8]
2008 One River, All Rivers imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival Honourable Mention Won
[23]
Warrk Warrk (Black Crow) Best Music Video Won (with Julia Morris)

[23][53]

2017 They Live in Forests, They Are Extremely Shy Canberra Short Film Festival Best Actor (International Category) Won
[54][55]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Jimmie Blacksmith Feature film
1982 We of The Never Never Jackaroo Feature film
1983 The City's Edge Jack Collins Feature film
1985 The Naked Country Mundaru Feature film
1987 Slate, Wyn & Me Morgan Feature film
1992 The Nun and the Bandit Bert Shanley Feature film
1995 Vacant Possession Billy Feature film
The Life of Harry Dare Harry's Father Feature film
2005 The Proposition Two Bob Feature film
Bad Habits Bill Short film
Yellow Fella Himself Documentary film
2007 The Postman's Privilege Sam Short film
The Curse Narrator Short film
Spear Narrator Short film
Crocodile Dreaming Charlie Short film
September Uncle Harold Feature film
2010 Red Hill Dural 'Jimmy' Conway Feature film
2014 Kundirri: The Life and Legacy of David Blanasi Documentary
2016 Waiting for Rain The Drover Short film
Goldstone Tommy Feature film
They Live in Forests, They Are Extremely Shy David Short film
2017 And Though the Music Ended, We Danced on Through the Night Percy Short film
Finding Maawirrangga Himself Documentary short
2018 Australia: The Wild Top End Narrator Documentary short
2020 The Skin of Others Douglas Grant Documentary film

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1979 Glenview High Des Rowley 1 episode
1981 A Town Like Alice Bourneville Miniseries, 2 episodes
1983 Silent Reach Ben Burnie Miniseries, 2 episodes
Carson's Law Johnny Bryant 3 episodes
1985 Robbery Under Arms Warrigal TV movie
1988 Touch the Sun: Top Enders Roy TV movie series
1988–1991 The Flying Doctors Ant / Tommy Baringa / Billy 3 episodes
1991 Rose Against the Odds Koori #1 TV movie
1993 RFDS Kilampi 2 episodes
1995 Correlli Fred Miniseries, 1 episode
1997 Kangaroo Palace Koori Miniseries, 1 episode
1997–1998 Li'l Elvis and the Truckstoppers Dex Dexter 26 episodes
1998 The Micallef Program Tommy 1 episode
2008 Double Trouble Jimmy 13 episodes
2010 The Circuit Father 1 episode
2017 Wolf Creek Uncle Moses 1 episode
2018 Wrong Kind of Black Dad Miniseries, 4 episodes

As writer / director

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1991 Ratbag Hero Didgeridoo Miniseries
1992 The Nun and the Bandit Musician Feature film
2005 Yellow Fella Co-writer Documentary film
2007 Warrk Warrk (Black Crow) Co-director Music video
2008 One River, All Rivers Director Short film
2014 Kundirri: The Life and Legacy of David Blanasi Co-writer / Co-director Documentary
2016 Cleverman Cultural Advisor 6 episodes
2017 Finding Maawirrangga Writer Documentary short
2020 The Skin of Others Documentary film

Theatre

[edit]

As actor

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Bullie's House Mallawal Long Wharf Theatre, Connecticut
1989 The Recruiting Officer Servant Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC
The Old Familiar Juice Stanley Church Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1989–1990 Our Country's Good Aboriginal Australian / Black Caesar Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse, Adelaide with MTC
1993 Dead Heart NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney
1994 Doing the Block Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Arena Theatre Company for Next Wave Festival
1995 The Head of Mary Yabari Tokyo International Arts Space for Tokyo International Festival, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company for Melbourne International Arts Festival
1996 Thumbul Himself Gasworks, Melbourne for City of Port Melbourne Recreation, Arts and Events
1997 Up the Ladder Seymour Centre, Sydney, VIC regional tour with Melbourne Workers Theatre / Kooemba Jdarra Indigenous Performing Arts / Festival of the Dreaming, SOCOG
2000–2001 Lift 'Em Up Socks Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, McGill University, Quebec, Brisbane Powerhouse, NT regional tour, David Williamson Theatre, Melbourne, Dietheatre Kunstlerhaus, Vienna with Handspan Theatre
2006 Othello Othello Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory with Darwin Theatre Company
2008 Shakespeare and the Songmen of Arnhem Land Singer Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with Australian Shakespeare Company
2009 Muyngarnbi: Songs from Walking with Spirits George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens for Darwin Festival
2012 Signs of Life WA tour & Sydney Opera House with Black Swan State Theatre Company / STC
2013–2016 The Shadow King King Lear Australian tour, Barbican Theatre, London

As writer

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Thumbul Playwright Gasworks, Melbourne for City of Port Melbourne Recreation, Arts and Events
2000–2001 Lift 'Em Up Socks Devisor Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, McGill University, Quebec, Brisbane Powerhouse NT regional tour, David Williamson Theatre, Melbourne, Dietheatre Kunstlerhaus, Vienna with Handspan Theatre
2013–2016 The Shadow King Co-creator Australian tour, Barbican Theatre, London

[56]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Balang T E Lewis, b. 1958". National Portrait Gallery people. 2021. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "About". Djilpin Arts. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Tom E Lewis". ABC listen. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Tom E Lewis: an Aboriginal Lear on walking the black/white divide". The Guardian. 16 September 2014.
  5. ^ a b c McLennan, Chris. "Katherine actor-musician Barlang Lewis dies". Katherine Times. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Bullie's House". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Tom E Lewis". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d "2006 RED OCHRE AWARD". Creative Australia. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Up the Ladders". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  10. ^ a b c "Lift 'Em Up Socks". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  11. ^ a b c "Lift 'Em Up Socks". Handspan Theatre. 5 April 2000. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  12. ^ "Othello". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  13. ^ "Signs of Life". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  14. ^ a b "The Shadow King [Melbourne Festival 2013]". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  15. ^ a b "The Shadow King [Sydney Festival 2014]". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  16. ^ "Campfire king Tom E. Lewis delivers an indigenous version of King Lear". The Australian. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  17. ^ "The Shadow King [Adelaide Festival 2014]". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  18. ^ "The Shadow King [Barbican Theatre]". AusStage. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  19. ^ "Review: The Shadow King at the Barbican". Exeunt Magazine. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  20. ^ Gardner, Lyn (26 June 2016). "The Shadow King review – Lear gambols to his fate in the desert". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  21. ^ Loxton, Howard (23 June 2016). "Theatre review: The Shadow King from Malthouse Theatre at Barbican Theatre". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  22. ^ a b c Thompson, Jesse (29 May 2018). "Actor, musician and cultural leader Balang TE Lewis farewelled in Beswick ceremony". ABC News. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  23. ^ a b c "The 9th Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Ends Another Successful Year and Hands Out A Host of Awards". NationTalk. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  24. ^ "Yellow fella". Des Plaines Public Library. Archived from the original (library catalogue entry) on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  25. ^ "YELLOW FELLA [from the CAAMA Collection]". Ronin Films. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  26. ^ a b "Bob Maza Fellowship". AustLit. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  27. ^ "Loved Up – Yellow Fella". Australian Screen. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  28. ^ Miska, Brad (18 February 2010). "A Sales Explosion for Arclight's Revenge Thriller 'Red Hill'". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  29. ^ Zeims, Mitch (23 July 2018). "Review: Aboriginal Storyteller Boori Monty Pryor on Being the Wrong Kind of Black". The 8 Percent.
  30. ^ Parry, Fleur (August 2014). "Djilpin Arts, The Company of People" (PDF). ANKAAA Arts Backbone. 14 (1). ANKAAA: 3.
  31. ^ "Kundirri The Life and Legacy of David Blanasi". AustLit. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  32. ^ "Julia Morris" (PDF). RMK Crew. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  33. ^ "Kundirri The Life and Legacy of David Blanasi". Documentary Australia Foundation (archived). 21 March 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2025 – via Trove.
  34. ^ "Finding Maawirrangga (2017)". Screen Australia. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  35. ^ "Finding Maawirrangga". Flickerfest. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  36. ^ a b c d Sebag-Montefiore, Clarissa (9 June 2018). "The inflatable screen taking Indigenous film back to the Top End". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  37. ^ Buckmaster, Luke (10 June 2020). "The Skin of Others review – Balang Tom E Lewis's final film is a fascinating look at the life of Douglas Grant". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  38. ^ a b "Music from Tom E Lewis (not in podcast)". ABC Radio National. 5 June 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g h Roberts, Greg (11 May 2018). "Actor Tom E Lewis dies aged 59". Blue Mountains Gazette. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  40. ^ a b "Tom E. Lewis". Move Records. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  41. ^ "Tom E. Lewis – Sunshine After Rain – CD (), 2005 [r15789692]". Discogs. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  42. ^ "Tom E. Lewis – Beneath The Sun – CD (Album), 2013 [r6746415]". Discogs. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  43. ^ "Recorded Messages: Violin". Move Records. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  44. ^ "Ambient Voice". Move Records. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  45. ^ "Their Arnhem home". The Age. 22 August 2004.
  46. ^ a b "Djilpin Arts – Indigenous Culture and Community Life". Djilpin Arts. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  47. ^ "Walking with Spirits". Indigenous Government. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  48. ^ Nally, Alicia (3 July 2017). "Songstress Emily Wurramara reflects on some of her key influences". cairnspost. Retrieved 15 March 2025. My career highlight thus far would be ... having the opportunity to jump on stage with Coloured Stone at the Walking with Spirits festival at Beswick Falls in the Northen Territory.
  49. ^ "Jeff McMullen advocacy". jeffmcmullen. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  50. ^ "Tom E Lewis [Balang T E Lewis], n.d." National Portrait Gallery collection. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  51. ^ Myers, Philip (3 February 2025). "Return, 2016". National Photographic Portrait Prize image. Archived from the original on 17 January 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  52. ^ "Bob Maza Fellowship". Australian Film Commission archive. Screen Australia. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  53. ^ "Julia Morris" (PDF). RMK Crew. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  54. ^ "2017 Winners". Canberra Short Film Festival. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  55. ^ "They Live in Forests, They Are Extremely Shy (2016)". IMDb. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  56. ^ "Tom E. Lewis theatre credits". AusStage.
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