Tom E. Lewis

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 and Beneath the Sun (2013), and was the founding director of Djilpin Arts in Beswick, Northern Territory.

Early life Balang Lewis, also known as Balang T.E. Lewis His father was a Welsh stockman called Hurtle Lewis, His mother, artist Angelina George, was of the Murrungun, Wandarrang, and Mara peoples.

From around 1989, He performed on stage with a marionette operated by Rod Primrose.

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.

In 2012, he starred alongside Helen Morse in Tim Winton's Signs of Life, a Black Swan Theatre / Sydney Theatre Company co-production, which toured Western Australia before a final performance in the Sydney Opera House. described as "an Indigenous version of King Lear". and also in Perth, Katherine, Brisbane, and Darwin, all in 2014. 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.

Film The lead role in the Fred Schepisi's 1978 film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith was Lewis' first film role,

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, for which he was awarded the 2005 Bob Maza Fellowship by the Australian Film Commission. Directed by Ivan Sen, it was selected to screen at the Cannes Film Festival, the first Australian Indigenous documentary ever chosen for Official Selection.

He had roles in We of the Never Never (1982), The Proposition (2005), and Crocodile Dreaming (2006), He was also in Goldstone, directed by Ivan Sen (2016).

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. 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.

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 and 2018 Flickerfest. 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.

Music Lewis played the didgeridu, flute, clarinet, and guitar. In the 1990s he toured in acclaimed jazz duo, Lewis & Young, through Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 2013, he released Beneath the Sun, also through the Skinnyfish label.

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

Other activities Lewis participated in the promotion of Melbourne's bid for the 1996 Olympic Games. a theatre manager. They were married and had a daughter together. Lewis also had other children. Journalist Jeff McMullen, who was a long-time friend of Lewis, was patron of the Walking with Spirits festival. The organisation has been described "as one of his largest legacies".

Recognition In 2000 Lewis was chosen to run with the Olympic torch in Melbourne. 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.

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

Filmography

Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1979 Glenview High Des Rowley 1 episode 1981 A Town Like Alice Bourneville Miniseries, 2 episodes1983 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 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

As actor Year Title Role Notes 1985 Bullie's House Mallawal Long Wharf Theatre, Connecticut1989 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 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