On Tuesday 30 September, NIDA hosted a special panel event to celebrate Prime Video’s vibrant and heartwarming new Australian series, Top End Bub with some of the NIDA alumni who created and brought it to life.
Reuniting at NIDA was powerhouse Top End Bub co-creator/co-writer/executive producer/actor Miranda Tapsell (Acting, 2008), director/actor Shari Sebbens (Acting, 2009), actor Guy Simon (Acting, 2010) and actor Ursula Yovich (Honorary MFA, 2022). The conversation was moderated by NIDA’s Director of First Nations and Outreach, Travis Cardona (Acting, 2008), and explored the show’s creative development, its heartfelt messaging and their unconventional take on the rom-com genre.
A TV series follow-up to the 2019 box office smash Top End Wedding, Top End Bub is set in the beautiful Top End (Darwin) and blends humour and heart to tell a story of love, identity, cultural pride and community. The panel shared incredibly inspiring insights as to how the portrayal of these themes can be powerful tools to shift long-held perceptions, offer opportunities for authentic representation and highlight the importance of First Nations voices in the screen industry.
Panellists shared deeply personal (and sometimes hilarious) reflections about their time at NIDA, their journeys through theatre and film, and their aspirations for the future of First Nations storytelling in Australia. When Miranda was asked to give advice to students or those starting out in the industry she replied, ‘Don’t wait for the phone to ring!’ Go out tell your story and make your own work.
We would like to thank Miranda, Shari, Guy, Ursula and Travis for sharing their thoughts, memories and values with us, contributing to such a meaningful and inspiring evening.
NIDA would also like to thank and celebrate the renewal of the incredible partnership with Prime Video for their financial support of the MFA Directing course and a full scholarship for a Dramatic Writing or Directing student identifying as female and non-binary with intersectional backgrounds, including but not limited to gender identity, cultural identity, people living with disability, or people within the LGBTQIA+ community.
If you haven’t yet watched Top End Bub, you must! Stream the series on Prime Video now.
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Header Image: From left to right: Miranda Tapsell (Acting, 2008), Shari Sebbens (Acting, 2009), Guy Simon (Acting, 2010) and Ursula Yovich (Honorary MFA, 2022). Photos by Robert Miniter.