Comedian Oliver Twist excited to show Karratha JALI for the Red Earth Arts Festival

Charismatic comedian and performer Oliver Twist will share stories from his family’s departure from Rwanda during the 1994 genocide with an on-brand comedic twist at this year’s Red Earth Arts Festival. His show JALI, meaning a historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, or musician, will see the comedian use personal anecdotes, drama and humour as an antidote to trauma at the Red Earth Arts Precinct in March as part of this year’s highly anticipated festival. Speaking to the Pilbara News while in quarantine, Twist said he was looking forward to performing in a part of Australia he had never seen before. “I’m curious to see how the audience respond to it. And to see what is around there and all the things it has to offer,” he said. Twist said the show was based on the audience being open to the story he was telling. “I’m very curious to see how Karratha’s audience specifically come into the show and I’ve had different responses from the different places that have done the show,” he said. Twist said the show explores his family’s departure from Rwanda after the 1994 genocide and fleeing to Malawi as refugees before coming to Australia under the resettlement process of the UNHCR. “My whole family arrived here and got settled in Queensland and the show evolves around that, it’s a lot of stories that go back and forth,” he said. “Back to Rwanda, Malawi then Australia.” Twist said he was excited and glad people still wanted to see the show. “I’m glad people are going to come out, especially after how tumultuous the last two years have been and WA has been very secluded, like its own country,” he said. “I got lucky to come in here and isolate for a bit before I can start doing this show.” The performance is part of a new partnership between the City of Karratha and Perth Festival’s Touring WA program, which will add Karratha to its 2022 schedule. The REAF will run from March 17-20.