A new play by Yorta Yorta and Gunaikurnai theatre-maker Andrea James is revisiting one of Victoria's enduring colonial myths, reimagining it through a modern lens and placing First Nations voices at the centre of the story.

'The Black Woman of Gippsland' follows Jacinta, a young academic pulled into the legend of a white woman said to have lived among the Gunaikurnai people in the 1840s.

As she searches for answers, the past and present begin to collide.

The play features Indigenous actress' Burarra woman Ursula Yovich and Thiithaarr Warra (Guugu Yimithirr), Kaanju and Ayapathu woman, Chenoa Deemal, Yorta/Yorta and Wiradjuri man Zach Blampied, and Ian Bliss.

Ms James said the idea for the play came after receiving a commission, and the opportunity allowed her to explore a story she'd known since childhood.

"I just really wanted to write something that would bring me back to home," she said.

While researching, Ms James said she was struck by the attention given to the colonial myth compared to the lived experiences of First Nations people.

"There was all this focus on this white woman that we don't even know existed," she said.

"And I just couldn't help but see these stark parallels… Our women are dying in custody."

She said the play is also about confronting what remains unfinished.

"This thing happened in the 1840s, but the consequences of that are still being played out today," she said.

Ursula Yovich plays Rochelle, Jacinta's aunt.

She said the character is driven by love and protection.

"She's taken on the role of raising this young woman who is interested in this history and who wants to be a historian," she said.

Ms Yovich notes the play touches on intergenerational trauma and how families pass down stories in ways that outsiders often misunderstand.

"These stories don't get mixed up," she said.

"They're sung in a certain way, by certain people."

Both Ms James and Ms Yovich agree the process of making the work has been grounded in collaboration and cultural integrity.

Early in development, the creative team visited Gunaikurnai Country, working closely with cultural adviser Uncle Wayne Thorpe and composer James Henry to bring cultural elements into the production.

"For me, even if the play never got up, knowing those songs will continue to be sung and handed down is really satisfying," Ms James said.

She notes the play isn't just about the past but asks audiences to reckon with the present.

"As long as whitefellas keep denying the truth or whitewashing it, nothing changes," she said.

Ms Yovich echoed this, adding that theatre allows for a shared space to challenge assumptions.

"Art gives us that voice. It reminds people we're real," she said.

Tickets for 'The Black woman of Gippsland' are available now.

Performances will run from 5 May at Southbank Theatre, The Sumner, until 31 May.