Black is the New White

Love, politics and other things you shouldn't talk about at dinner

Charlotte Gibson is a lawyer with a brilliant career ahead of her. As her father Ray says, she could be the next female Indigenous Waleed Aly. But she has other ideas. First of all, it's Christmas. Second of all, she's in love.

The thing is, her fiance, Francis Smith, is not what her family expected - he's unemployed, he's an experimental composer ... and he's white! Bringing him and his conservative parents to meet her family on their ancestral land is a bold move. Will he stand up to the scrutiny? Or will this romance descend into farce?

Love is never just black and white. It's complicated by class, politics, ambition, and too much wine over dinner. But for Charlotte and Francis, it's mostly complicated by family. Secrets are revealed, prejudices outed and old rivalries get sorted through. What can't be solved through diplomacy can surely be solved by a good old-fashioned dance-off. They're just that kind of family.

Award-winning writer Nakkiah Lui shows why she is one of this country's most in-demand young voices, delivering cutting satire that is both seductively subversive and thoroughly delightful.

About the author

Nakkiah Lui is the co-writer and star of Black Comedy, and co-host of the podcast Pretty for an Aboriginal. She has been a playwright-in-residence for Sydney's Belvoir Theatre and artist-in-residence for the Griffin Theatre. Most recently Nakkiah has appeared as a regular guest on Screen Time on ABC and her new six-part comedy series, Kiki & Kitty, premiered on ABC in 2017. She is a Gamilaroi/Torres Strait Islander woman, and a leader in the Australian Aboriginal community.