Our Country’s Good
By Timberlake Wertenbaker. Based on The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally. Directed by Rachel O'Riordan.“Spewed from our country, forgotten, bound to the dark edge of the earth…”
Thomas Barrett: Transported seven years for stealing one ewe sheep.
James Freeman: Transported 14 years for assault on a sailor.
Dorothy Handland: Stole a biscuit.
A ship, sailing 15,000 miles to Australia, is crammed with Britain’s convicts – a punishment for their crimes. After a life-threatening voyage they arrive in 1788. But keeping the colony disciplined is a brutal job, and cruelty is rife. To keep the convicts in line and attempt to ‘civilise’ this often desperate, violent, poverty stricken group, a young ambitious lieutenant, Ralph Clark, decides they should perform a play.
With a mostly illiterate cast, rising mistrust amongst the ranks, and the leading actor facing the gallows, this is a one of a kind theatre production…
In this brand new production, Timberlake Wertenbaker revisits her seminal play examining power in the British justice system, collaborating with consultant Ian Michael to honour the voice and history of Australia’s First Nations People.
Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan (A Doll’s House, Iphigenia in Splott) directs this Olivier award winning classic based on the extraordinary true story of the British Empire’s most remote penal colony. With deportation as punishment more relevant than ever before, Our Country’s Good takes on new meaning in 2024.
Supported by the Australian High Commission London.
The performance will feature haze, loud noises (including gun shots), and other atmospheric effects. Please note, warning will be updated regularly to reflect any technical features added to the production. Detailed content warnings can be found here: please note, this does contain plot spoilers.
