Summary

Newspaper clipping of an article titled 'Eoan Group's triumphant return in a musical'. The article is a very positive review of the Eoan Group's performance of the musical 'Oklahoma', after several years of performing only opera. 'Oklahoma' was performed in 1967, and Sylvia Booysen (Boyes) was listed under 'Chorus' in the programme (HT 56396). The article discusses the American Director, Stanley Waren, the hard work of the Eoan Group performers, the ability of the two lead actors, the comedic ability of certain actors, the tragedy of the story and the contribution of certain personnel.

Sylvia joined the Eoan Group in 1966 and performed in a variety of operas in the chorus. She met her future husband, Lindsay Motherwell, through the Eoan Group's production of 'South Pacific'. Sylvia left South Africa in 1969 and migrated to Australia in 1970.

Sylvia Boyes (a South African-born orphan) and Lindsay Motherwell (a Melbourne-born drummer) met in Cape Town, South Africa in 1967 through their theatre connections. They fell in love but due to apartheid laws were forced to leave South Africa to marry in London. They subsequently relocated permanently to Melbourne in 1970.

Significance

Statement of Historical Significance:
This collection provides a significant opportunity to represent political and personal freedom as a motivation for migrating to Australia within the international context of both apartheid in South Africa and the end of the White Australia policy in Australia. The personal narrative is well documented and the objects provide a material way to follow the lives of both Lindsay and Sylvia, both separately and where they coincide in South Africa and onwards together to Melbourne. While this is ultimately a love story, it plays out through the collection against the backdrop of apartheid South Africa, sixties London and an increasingly multicultural Australia.

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