AustLit

The Lamentable Longing of Lazarus Leaf

The play explores the issues of persistence, resilience and longing in a humorous context. It raises questions of individuality, self-esteem, standing up for oneself and trusting one's intuition. Students gain an understanding of the purpose of change and growth in their lives.

The Bothersome Bunyips

The play explores the issues of bullying and resilience in a humorous context. Students observe the importance of individual differences and value the acceptance of self and others. They gain an understanding of the importance of being responsible for one's own actions.

The Road That Went Home

The play explores the integrity of our natural environment, the need to follow our intuition, such as Rocky the Road's dream to return to his starting point, and the importance of freedom, rest and relaxation in our busy lives. Students gain an understanding of the purpose of change, growth and following treasured dreams in their own lives, and of the importance of being responsible for one's actions.

There’s a Ghost in My Room

The play explores Marshall’s journey from initial fear to acceptance and enjoyment. Students gain an understanding of the purpose of dealing with fear, and developing friendship in their own lives.

Features three original plays written for primary students to read, discuss and perform. Each is accompanied by a guide to the values inherent in the plot, skills to be learnt and writing styles to be discussed, along with simple preparation instructions, performance ideas &​ follow-up activities. Student &​ teacher resource. Age 9-12

This play explores the difficulties of communicating with an audience, while being on a slightly removed wavelength and using language which is faintly out of the ordinary. The play looks at the barriers of language that could exist for a disabled, yet entirely coherent individual faced with an audience used to communicating with ease. The individual/being/head,(the only part of the actor that is visible is the head. The rest of the body is obscured by a large box which conceals a three wheel pedal bike by which the actor can perambulate around the stage when this is required) is accompanied by a following spirit, part guide, part lost soul and castaway, who struggles with the beings need to communicate with the audience/humanity/body. In some respects the being is a form of verbal bridge between the audience and the spirit. The being represents the gulf between the body and the spirit and is able to communicate with both. The language used is a mixture of semi-verse and gibberish. Meaning is ever present, but always obscure.

A compelling drama about the issues of consumerism and media manipulation. Ruthless marketing executives dream up an attractive but dangerous new product, the ultimate junk food item, 'Everything'. To sell it, they need someone young and innocent. The heroine turns out to be just the right victim. Variable cast size (5-20), variable genders. Can be done as all-girl, or mixed.

Swishswooshtinkle the Windy Wizard cannot sneeze, an important ability in windy wizardry. He needs to find an assistant who can help him to learn to sneeze. He consults the four winds and they tell him IF YOU NEED AN ASSISTANT, FOR MAGIC AND TRICKS, YOU NEED A YOUNG GIRL, CALLED BELINDA, AGED SIX. He manages to find just such an assistant, and Belinda tries a number of ingenious plans to make Swishswooshtinkle sneeze, then finally finds that the answer is under their very noses