They are largely Indigenous children whose future is looking decidedly shaky. From a young age they are in trouble with the law for a variety of offences. Breaking into homes and stealing money and valuables, they play the system. Often, they are immediately bailed, only to rinse and repeat. Then, in many cases, incarceration follows.
So, is it the system that is working against them? What part do they have to play in their own rehabilitation? What has to happen to keep them from the revolving door justice that seems to have taken hold? How do they break the vicious cycle? These are the questions posed by Yuwaalaray playwright Hannah Belanszky and Kalkadoon director Abbie-lee Lewis in a series of vignettes that constitutes Saplings.
Here is a brief insight into just some of them. Kai and Jonty are good mates who set their sights on making music together, but need money to buy a phone. Mara, who is new in town, is involved in a break and enter, and is caught red handed with an expensive watch in hand. Lachy’s stepbrother Josh has taken out an apprehended violence order against him, but literally lives in the adjacent room in the same home. With no food left in the house, Lachy breaches his 24-hour curfew, and a lifetime ban from Woolworths, to buy some instant noodles, and is arrested.
Alinta and Sandon discuss navigating the children’s court process, which appears to be a case of Russian roulette. Shanika and her older brother Isaiah are at a train station waiting for their mother, who has just been released from prison. Shanika is optimistic it will be different this time around, when Isaiah drops a bombshell that leaves her shattered.
Four fine young actors – Maliyan Blair, Danny Howard, Sam Harmon and Talijah Blackman-Corowa – fill multiple roles, often exchanging fast paced patter. They are slick. They are instantly believable. They talk the talk and walk the walk. The authorities don’t seem to intimidate the characters they play. They make questionable choices. They frequently skate on the edge and then they cross the line, only to get their comeuppance, but is this really the answer?
While dramatic, Saplings also pivots on moments of hilarity and heartbreak. It is emotionally wrought. Raw and unrelenting, the stories told were born from workshops and interviews conducted with young people experiencing the youth justice system. What stands out is the authenticity and bravado involved. Giving it even more clout is the musical backdrop – extensively loud rap and hip-hop music stings – crafted by those in the system. Bringing it all together cohesively is composer and sound designer Michael Weir.
The set is atmospheric – indicative of the environment where many of the youths depicted hang around in street wear. It is a drab, concrete grey backdrop, replete with daubs of graffiti and, initially, four low lying shrubs – green shoots, perhaps. The co-set and costume designers are Angela Doherty and Morgan Moroney.
Saplings premiered at the Sydney Festival in 2004, winning Sydney Theatre’s Award for Young People. It is not hard to see why. This is fine, edgy theatre that shines a searing light on a perennial, deeply rooted issue. Seventy-five minutes without interval, it is on at The Show Room, Arts Centre Melbourne, until 1st August, 2026, as part of a national tour.
For more information, go to https://www.atyp.com.au/productions/saplings
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Heartbreak Hotel (Arts Centre Melbourne) – theatre review
- Consent (Seymour Centre) – theatre review
- Heartbreak Hotel, at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne – theatre review
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
