You Know We Belong Together

Family, friends and lovers are all part of Julia Hales’ deeply personal account of her experiences as a daughter, actor, dreamer and person with Down syndrome.

You Know We Belong Together is a joyful celebration of community spirit and a call for greater inclusivity from a community rarely represented on stage or screen.

Hales has watched every single episode of Australian soap opera Home and Away since it first aired in 1988, but she’s never seen another person with Down syndrome in the cast.

She dreams of landing a role in her favourite show and finding love.

This live documentary is at once a universal story of love, loss and friendship, and deeply personal exploration of the frustrations and aspirations of living with Down syndrome.

Hales and a cast of six Western Australian actors put their own lives on stage, mixing their experiences and personal day-to-day realities with monologues, video, scenes, dance and song. All juxtaposed on the setting of the famous diner at Summer Bay.

Hales says, ‘I want people to see us for who we are and what we do as part of the world.’

Following sold out seasons in 2018 as part of Perth Festival and Black Swan’s 2019 season, You Know We Belong Together comes to the Southbank Centre.

You Know We Belong Together is written by Julia Hales with Finn O’Branagáin and Clare Watson. The original production was commissioned by Perth Festival and co-produced by Perth Festival, Black Swan State Theatre Company and DADAA.

Black Swan's tour of You Know We Belong Together is supported by the UK/Australia Season Patrons, the Australian Government, the British Council, and Creative Partnerships Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund as part of the UK/Australia Season 2021/22, the Government of Western Australia DLGSC and the Black Swan Future Fund.