Evolving as Evonne

Tell us about you – what are you passionate about in terms of your performance work?

I am passionate about theatre that focusses on community and collaboration between creatives that work from the heart. I always want to be involved with creative teams and venues that value inclusivity and accessibility.

I love physical theatre – I grew up doing ballet and think that the human body is capable of amazing things, and that body language is a beautiful means of communication. I love to be involved in multidisciplinary works. I always remain curious about the world around me, try to seek the beauty in everything and perform with generosity.

Ella Ferris in Sunshine Super Girl. Photo: Pazz Tassone

What were your first thoughts when you read Andrea James’s script?

When I first read the Sunshine Super Girl script, one of my first questions was about how much collaboration there had been between Evonne and Andrea in the telling of this story. It was important to me to know that Evonne had given permission for her story to be told and that it was told truthfully.

I was delighted by the humour and very curious about how the physical world of tennis would be translated to the stage. I was moved by Andrea’s light touch when approaching themes of racism and misogyny. This is a story about blak joy and triumph!

What does Evonne Goolagong Cawley mean to you? And what was it like meeting her in Darwin?

Evonne Goolagong was among the household names like Cathy Freeman and Jessica Mauboy that I idolised and related to, knowing that being Aboriginal is something to cherish and be proud of. Though it wasn’t until I started talking to my elders about Evonne for research, that I realised just how much the public respect her and really love her.

Meeting Evonne in Darwin was surreal. She watched our first dress rehearsal, along with 230 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tennis students, which felt like the perfect way to open our show. Evonne and Roger were very kind and generous audience members.

‘The most exciting discoveries for me have been the parallels between Evonne’s story and my own ... It excites me that I will never stop learning things about the real Evonne, so my character will never stop evolving. ’

Portraying a tennis great and national icon is a huge feat – how did you approach this when preparing for the role?

A tennis player’s body is their instrument, so the first step for me was to build the muscle groups necessary to look like a tennis player and to be able to carry me through the show. Jax Compton taught us correct serving technique and Katina Olsen provided us with strength and conditioning drills. This element of the character will always be a work in progress and I’m enjoying feeling my tennis skills and muscles strengthening over time.

In terms of the more intellectual and emotional character journey, my main source of information was Evonne’s autobiography Home! The Evonne Goolagong Story, which I encourage everyone to track down and read. That book has become somewhat sacred to me, and I take it with me everywhere.

Ella Ferris with Kirk Page and Jax Compton in Sunshine Super Girl. Photo: Paz Tassone

What has surprised you most while working on this show?

I, and most people who watch Sunshine Super Girl, have been surprised by everything we’ve learnt about Evonne! Despite being in the public eye, the details of her personal life remained private. She faced racism, misogyny, assault, loss, lateral violence, but overcame these things with grace and remarkable resilience. These qualities are what I admire most about Evonne.

I was also moved by the way the town of Barellan rallied in support of Evonne. In an era when racism, misogyny and individualism prevailed, they chose love and community to support an incredibly talented child.

You trained at the Australian Ballet School, and dance and choreography are important elements in the play. Why do you think dance works so well to tell Evonne’s story?

Evonne was known for her grace on the court, so her style of playing lends itself very well to a dance-based interpretation of movement. Dance works well to convey tennis onstage because we can abstract the movements to support the story, enhancing the already present drama of a tennis game. All the cast have a dance background, so we used dance terminology as a common language to create accurate and convincing tennis shapes.

Ella Ferris with Kirk Page and Katina Olsen performing a choreographic sequence in Sunshine Super Girl. Photo: Paz Tassone

What’s the most exciting aspect about working on Sunshine Super Girl?

The most exciting discoveries for me have been the parallels between Evonne’s story and my own. I think most Aboriginal people, particularly Aboriginal women and those who grew up in the same era as she, will find striking similarities between their experiences and Evonne’s. I grew up as an Aboriginal girl in an elite ballet training institution. As an actor, I think it is unique to be able to connect through so many experiences to my character. It’s also somewhat strange to be telling a part of a story that is still unravelling. It excites me that I will never stop learning things about the real Evonne, so my character will never stop evolving.

And finally, how good is your tennis game?

I hate to shatter the illusion, but my tennis game is not good. In fact, it’s laughably bad.

Sunshine Super Girl is on stage until 16 December at Southbank Theatre.