Clancestry - The Visitors

The multi-award-winning play The Visitors will converge on QPAC's Playhouse as part of this year’s Clancestry festival from 23 to 26 July. 

A riveting, deeply researched insight into one of the most impactful and painful days in Australia’s history, the play is also a hugely entertaining study of how communities respond to change and the unknown.

On a sweltering day in January 1788, seven clan leaders gather on a sandstone escarpment overlooking the harbour. The attendees, six of them Elders and one new initiate, catch-up, laugh together, share a meal and compare notes.

But beyond the friendly banter, protocols, and hospitality, a momentous decision is waiting to be made. A mysterious fleet of giant nawi is amassing in the harbour and as they creep closer, these seven representatives must choose unanimously: whether to send these strangers on their way or welcome them?

The Visitors by Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison was co-produced by Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company, and directed by one of Australia’s most celebrated directors, Quandamooka man Wesley Enoch. It was awarded Best Mainstage Production and Best Ensemble at the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards.

Good to know - The performance contains infrequent coarse language, themes of racial violence, descriptions of violence, intergenerational trauma and theatrical haze and is recommended for ages 13+. 

Need to know - The production may contain voices and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have passed away. 

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