RYKO: A Wild Life

RYKO – A Wild Life is a full cast audio-drama that brings to life the exciting story of Ted Ryko, an adventurous cyclist and photographer who travelled extensively across Australia’s mysterious, dangerous and ‘tantalising’ Top End in 1914-17. Ryko had conquered the nearly 3000 km (2000 miles) overland cycling record from Adelaide across the desert to the frontier town of Darwin but he soon discovered a divided society that pushed him to new limits.

The story is an intensely human drama based on real events and presents an authentic representation of the historical, political and cultural context of the time challenging views of prejudice and disenfranchisement, dual citizenship, xenophobia and paranoia in a multi-cultural, de-stabilised environment. It provides a voice for the contribution that the disenfranchised Chinese made to Australia, recognition of Australians of German descent who were persecuted during WW1 and the uncovering of a proto-treaty from the brutalised and marginalised Indigenous people.

The production accentuates themes of cultural story-telling through a mix of indigenous, western and eastern music and language, all wrapped in classic Australian humour.


Total run time = 4 hrs 28 mins presented in 15 episodes.

Produced by Rod McMillan

For a complete list of Voice Actors, Musicians, Technicians and Assistants go to www.adland.com.au and follow links to The Ryko Project.