Noel Tovey: Little Black Bastard

Noel Tovey, indigenous Australian, dancer, singer, actor, was sexually abused for the first time aged four. By his teenage years he was a hoodlum and a rent boy on the streets of Melbourne. Aged 17 he was imprisoned for "the abominable crime of 'buggery'". He went on to become principle dancer at Sadler's Wells Opera Ballet, performing alongside the likes of Judy Garland and Dusty Springfield in an arts career spanning more than 50 years. Now in his 70s, Tovey is making his Fringe debut, telling the story of his life.

It's a story which is, quite simply, incredible. What comes across is not just a sense of anger at the treatment of indigenous children by the post-war Australian government, but also moments of humour, vivid characterisations of long-gone friends, and recollections of naïve childhood logic amid the most harrowing of situations. This first-hand history is as fascinating and moving as it is shocking.

What's much harder, though, is to judge this as a piece of theatre. There are some nice touches to the staging of the monologue. The stage is bare other than a chair and several imposing black flats, upon which are printed old pictures of Tovey in various stages of youth. These are rarely referenced, instead serving as a gallery or museum. It's a powerful effect, suggestive of a story which is at both in the past, but also demonstrably real.

By comparison, Tovey's performance is artless. He tells, rather than performs or relives his life story – and does so beautifully. The slightly naff recordings, and the few occasions where he attempts to dramatise events come as rare moments of inauthenticity. Tovey's incredible story needs no embellishment.