theatre as history

After hearing from Stephen about re-enactment and the possibilities of 'living history', I noticed with interest that the Quarantine Station (or, 'Q station', as its website notes it will soon be called) has created what they call an 'immersive theatre experience' to tell the history of the site. Called Defiance, the show apparently dramatises the experiences of those who lived and worked in the Quarantine Station throughout its long history. The station opened in the 1830s as (of course) a quarantine site for those coming to Australia after long sea voyages, and as you could imagine, it's a place that has probably seen great sadness in its long history - probably many of the people who were forced to stay there never saw their proper destination (I've long heard stories from historian friends that the place is haunted -  I'm not sure about this, but I did notice the station is also offering ghost tours of the place at night.) The show is designed around the experience of hearing of the stories in the places where they actually happened, which is an interesting idea. This emphasis on authenticity is one of the hallmarks of popular history.

It's interesting - when the redevelopment of the Quarantine Station was mooted almost a decade ago, I think many historians and heritage workers were dubious about plans for the site, which involved turning the buildings into a conference centre and resort. I guess we should be impressed that the building's history has been incorporated into the redevelopment and not turfed as many feared it would be. The politics of heritage these days seem to boil down to one question:  how do you make heritage pay in a market economy? It will be interesting to see if Defiance attracts audiences interested in an historical experience (at 60 bucks a ticket it should be a profitable one for the owners) as well as a fine dining one.