Mungangga Garlagula
Music
11 August 2025
State Theatre Centre of WA, Heath Ledger Theatre

Mungangga Garlagula

11 August 2025 State Theatre Centre of WA, Heath Ledger Theatre Buy tickets

Presented by Tura

Mungangga Garlagula (Wajarri for “yarning by the fire”) is a deeply human story of homecoming, told through spoken word, soundscape and music. Co-created and performed by Yamatji artist Mark Atkins and Finnish-Australian composer Erkki Veltheim, the work celebrates the life and career of one of Australia’s most respected First Nations musicians and poets.

Audiences are invited to join Atkins by the fire and travel with him across shifting boundaries of memory and myth, light and shadow, the reverberating past and the emerging future.

Mungangga Garlagula is the culmination of Mark Atkins’ expansive creative life. A descendent of Western Australia’s Yamatji people and of Irish-Australian heritage, he is a virtuosic didgeridoo player and compelling storyteller. A founding member of The Black Arm Band, Atkins has collaborated with global icons including Robert Plant and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Philip Glass, Ornette Coleman and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His 1994 Didgeridoo Concerto showcased his mastery of circular breathing, playing continuously for over 50 minutes—an unofficial world record at the time.

Erkki Veltheim is a multidisciplinary artist, a storyteller in live and electronic sound, and a remarkable performer on violin and viola. A Sidney Myer Fellow, he is also the orchestral composer and arranger for Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s posthumous ARIA and Australian Music Prize-winning album Djarimirri.

Atkins and Veltheim perform live on stage in this theatrical production. Exceptional Australian musicians Genevieve Lacey, Vanessa Tomlinson, Stephen Magnusson, Anthony Pateras and Scott Tinkler have also created and recorded a shifting bed of sound that is integral to the work. Co-created with Atkins and Veltheim from the outset, the recorded score and live performance form a unified sonic and narrative experience.

Premiering in Mark’s hometown of Albany in late 2024, Mungangga Garlagula captivated audiences across WA’s South West before a celebrated 2025 season at the Canberra International Music Festival. This one-night-only Perth performance offers audiences a chance to experience the culmination of this five-year creative journey.


Please note:
  • Mobile telephones and electronic devices are to be turned off during the performance.
  • Cameras, video cameras and tape recorders will not be permitted without the consent of the promoter.

A Reserve

  • $50.00 Adult
  • $40.00 Concession (Full-time Students, Pensioners, Seniors Card holders, Health Care Card, Mob Tickets)
  • $30.00 Students
  • $50.00 Groups 10+
  • $20.00 School Groups 12+ (16 years and above)

B Reserve

  • $45.00 Adult
  • $30.00 Concession (Full-time Students, Pensioners, Seniors Card holders, Health Care Card, Mob Tickets)
  • $20.00 Students
  • $45.00 Groups 10+
  • $20.00 School Groups 12+ (16 years and above)

C Reserve

  • $35.00 Adult
  • $25.00 Concession (Full-time Students, Pensioners, Seniors Card holders, Health Care Card, Mob Tickets)
  • $15.00 Students
  • $35.00 Groups 10+
  • $20.00 School Groups 12+ (16 years and above)

For group bookings phone (08) 6212 9291 or email groups@artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au
Standard Groups receive one complimentary ticket per 9 purchased
School Groups receive one complimentary ticket per 8 purchased


Pricing and Transaction Fee Information
Transaction fees for ticket purchases differ depending on the sales channel you choose.
Web: $3.95 if cart values is $36 or less, $5.95 if cart value is more than $36. 
Phone: $6.95. In person: $0. Group bookings: $8.95. Add $2 for postage by Standard Mail or $4.40 for Registered Mail.
All tickets/items prices include GST if applicable and are quoted in Australian dollars.
Ticket prices can be dynamically adjusted, either up or down, based on real-time market demand, and without notice.

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