Stories In The Dark

When two boys meet in the darkness of a war-ravaged town, the stories they tell become powerful beacons of hope and light. Acclaimed Australian screenwriter and playwright, Debra Oswald developed Stories in the Dark for the Australian Theatre for Young People in 2008, and was it awarded Best Play in the NSW Literary Awards.

Performed by an ensemble of 21 boys and girls, the events of the play stretch the imagination - from ogres, wolves and dragons and singing bones to families trying to find loved ones, or find food and water - as we follow Dan and Tomas through the stories they tell and the remnants of their war-torn town.

Amid the bullets and shells and in front of the backdrop of a ruined cityscape, these stories come to life on stage.'There is something about the simplicity and mystery of folk tales told aloud', Oswald said, '…that can draw listeners in, sneaking around our opinionatedness and prejudices, to touch us deeply'.

It is a celebration of the way humans use story-telling to build community, to shape and relate our experiences and ultimately, to keep out the dark.