Type – Historical, Uplifting
If you liked – Cinderella Man,Cool Runnings, The Diary of Anne Frank
My Cousin Frank: One man, one family, a story that needed to be told.
Told through an intimate one-woman performance by Rhoda Roberts AO, the My Cousin Frank tells the story of her first cousin, Frank Roberts – a little-known Aboriginal Australian boxer who represented his country at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Until this performance, I had never heard of his name. By the end, I felt compelled to tell others about him.
The set is simple and inviting: a cosy living room, a firm leather armchair, anda heavy brass teapot with a cup resting beside it. Dressed in a black sports suit, Roberts reclines and pours a cup of her favourite everyday black tea – affectionately called “Everyday Black” – and begins to share her family’s story. It feels less like theatre and more like being welcomed into someone’s home.
Frank’s story is about sport, but also about discipline, pride, and the deep roots of boxing that run through the Roberts family. The larger narrative, however, reaches much further. This is a story of racism and invisibility, of talent overlooked and histories quietly erased. It exposes the ways systems draw lines around who is seen, who is celebrated, and who is forgotten.
Frank’s journey to Tokyo was eye-opening. He met the Emperor Hirohito and saw the world beyond Australia’s borders. He returned to Australia a changed man. As Roberts speaks, the audience is taken back in time. Through photographs and archival footage projected onto the screen behind her, Frank’s life and legacy are brought to life from its dusty cobwebs. These images do more than support the story – they reclaim it.
This is not simply a play, it is a memory and a reflection of Australia’s sporting history and the involvement of First Nations people within it. What makes the experience even more powerful is where it is being told. A story once marginalised is now shared on one of the world’s most iconic stages. Witnessing this unfolding at the Sydney Opera House felt deeply significant.
Is My Cousin Frank Worth Seeing in Sydney?
My Cousin Frank is not just a performance.
It is memory.
It is resilience.
It is love.
And it is, undeniably, a story that needed to be told.
The reception following the performance was equally thoughtful, offering a space for reflection and shared respect. It felt like an extension of the story itself: communal, grounded, celebratory and healing.
Tickets and Practical Info for My Cousin Frank in Sydney 🎟️
A NORPA production, written and told by Rhoda Roberts AO
Run time 75 minutes (approx., no interval)
Season dates: Wed 3 – Sat 9 Dec
Renowned artistic and cultural leader Rhoda Roberts AO shares the story of her trailblazing first cousin, Frank Roberts, a Widjabul Wia-bal and Githabul man from Cubawee who became Australia’s first Aboriginal Olympian.
Tickets: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/theatre/my-cousin-frank
Creative Credits
Writer & Performer: Rhoda Roberts AO
Director: Kirk Page
Associate Director: Julian Louis
Lighting Design: Karl Johnson
AV Design: Jahvis Loveday and Mic Gruchy
Sound Design: Damian Robinson
Rhoda dressed by Ella Lincoln
