By Kirli Saunders
Written, performed, and scored by award-winning Gunai artist and writer Kirli Saunders, Yandha Djanbay uses intimate storytelling to centre love, grief, and responses to the recent referendum — making space for sorrow and rage, while honouring joy as a form of resistance and a legacy of those who came before.
This compelling one-woman show received a huge response and standing ovations in its 2025 MERRIGONGX debut season. Now taking it to the Mainstage, Saunders' powerful work holds space for survivors, and boldly addresses the ongoing impacts of violence, racism, and sexism faced by Aboriginal people, particularly women. Yandha Djanbay offers connection — to country, to community, and to the resilience of Matriarchy. Taking its title from a Dharawal phrase meaning to go slowly, this work is both an acknowledgement of Ancestral strength and a hopeful offering for the future.
The work's stunning visuals feature 15 First Nations women based on Dharawal & Wodi Wodi lands. Saunders' personal monologues intertwine with songs and poems from her acclaimed poetry collections Eclipse (Allen & Unwin, 2025) and Returning (Magabala, 2023), Yandha Djanbay is a breathtaking work from one of Australia's most dynamic, young First Nations voices.
