No Sugar by Jack Davis

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Jack Davis’ four-act play “No Sugar” documents the destruction of indigenous culture. Stagnant and directionless, the Millimurra family, the centre of the action, exist in a state of perpetual limbo. Residing initially at Government Well on the outskirts of the Western Australian township of Northam, and then at Moore River Native Settlement, the Millimurras exist from day to day. Under the guise of the “Aboriginal Act”, the Millumurra’s lives are controlled by those who purport to protect them; Sergeant, Constable, Neal, and Mr Neville, and as such, their capacity to engage in their own cultural practices and traditions, is compromised. Moreover, the title “No Sugar” reveals the Millimurra’s preoccupation with the basics, indicating to us just how restricted the indigenous lifestyle is. Unofficial government policy seems to endorse the idea that the Aboriginal population is doomed to extinction, as expressed by Chief Protector Inspector Neville. However, even though structurally the play supports the view that Aborigines are a doomed race, Joe and Mary’s departure from Moore River at the end of Act Four gives us hope for the future.