AWAY
A play by Michael Gow
Live theatre performance
2026 NIDA Winter Season Space Theatre
THE COMPANY
Principal Cast (in order of appearance)
Tom/Rick: Kai Johnson
Roy/MC: Bradley Bulger
Meg/Leonie: Kiara de Vine
Gwen: Jennifer Roache
Jim: Braydon James
Harry: Giani Fenech
Vic: Zara Giacobello
Coral: Ooen-s’tae Johnson
Hotel Guests and Campers: The Company
Director: Rachael Maza AM
Costume Designer: Adithi Iyer
Lighting Designer: Shevon McCormack-Edwards
Set & Props Designer: Joey McKenzie
Sound Designer: Max Bradley
Rachael, Adithi and I began our design and conceptual discussions with focus on exploring how we could bring a First Nation perspective to a very white play. Rachael wanted to delve deeper into the politics, society and events that took place before and during the summer of 1967 - the referendum, the vietnam war, an increase in consumerist culture. Overall, capturing the essence of a veneer of the great colonial Australian dream with imported identity overlayed to create a semblance of white “culture”.
The cusp between the 60s and 70s in Australia was a period of great change, with the 1967 referendum being approved, allowing first nations people to be counted in the Australian population. During this time, Australia, allied with the US and South Vietnam, sent troops over to fight in the Vietnam war, by 1973, over 4 million civilians and soldiers lost their lives in the atrocity, 526 of them being Australian military personnel. Not to mention, a major shift in consumerist culture with products become more easily accessible to the common man. Peoples relationships with shopping and materiality was quickly changing to a more consumerist mindset.
The culminates with a wild storm in which the fairy’s (first seen in the school play) wreak havok on stage. Rachael and I spent a lot of time discussing how we could bring an idea of reclamation of country into the space in this moment. Tony Alberts exhibition “Not A Souvenir”, displayed his works reclaiming what he has coined “Aboriginalia” (mass-produced objects featuring caricatures of Indigenous peoples and cultural designs) into something that explores First Nation identity in a white colonial world. His use of space, colour, form and language brought us inspiration as to what we wanted the outcome of the storm to be. A Wreckage. Country reclaiming its space, destroying the material object and turning it into a landscape.
Principal Cast (in order of appearance)
Tom/Rick: Kai Johnson
Roy/MC: Bradley Bulger
Meg/Leonie: Kiara de Vine
Gwen: Jennifer Roache
Jim: Braydon James
Harry: Giani Fenech
Vic: Zara Giacobello
Coral: Ooen-s’tae Johnson
Hotel Guests and Campers: The Company
Director: Rachael Maza AM
Costume Designer: Adithi Iyer
Lighting Designer: Shevon McCormack-Edwards
Set & Props Designer: Joey McKenzie
Sound Designer: Max Bradley
Fight Choreographer: Troy Honeysett*
Intimacy Consultant: Chloe Dallimore*
Voice Coach: Angela Sullen*
Assistant Director: Elyse Armstrong
Assistant Director: Emily Hinchey
Production Manager: Bella Muslad
Stage Manager: Aiden Carter
Assistant Stage Manager: Caitlin Kramer
Assistant Stage Manager: Edwina Vassallo
Construction Manager: Jamie Sellar
Costume Supervisor: Jackson Lorrigan
Properties Supervisor: Hayley McGregor
Head Electrician: Indiana Jones
Technical Coordinator & Head Mechanist: Harry Deacon
Technical Crew Coordinator: Grace Wilson
Costume Maker: Cara Haley
Costume Maker & Costume Assistant/Dresser: Ashley Phillips
Set Design Assistant: Charli Waterland
Costume Design Assistant: Danny Lee
Props Assistant: Ruby June McRobert
Set Leading Hand: Will Lenehan
Set Assistant & Crew: Bella Djokic
Set Assistant & Crew: Marisela Woo Ruiz
Set Assistant: Finn Trimnell-Richard
Set Assistant: Jayden Naimo
Floor Electrician/Board Operator: Emilie Martin
Hair & Make-up Artist: Josie Matthews
Hair & Make-up Artist: Kendall Forbes
CONCEPT, SKETCHES AND PROCESS ★ CONCEPT, SKETCHES AND PROCESS ★ CONCEPT, SKETCHES AND PROCESS ★ CONCEPT, SKETCHES AND PROCESS ★