The “extraordinary” true story of a group of convicts and a young officer who rehearse and perform a play—Australia's first theatrical production—is told in Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good, a Ramps on the Moon and Nottingham Playhouse co-production.
It will be the third co-production created by a consortium of seven theatre companies dedicated to putting D/deaf and disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their work.
Our Country's Good is set in 1787 when ships with more than 700 convicts on board set sail on an eight-month voyage. When they arrive in Australia, their survival is by no means certain: supplies are running out, the convicts are stealing food or trying to escape and the guards are threatening mutiny.
Our Country’s Good will be directed by Nottingham Playhouse associate director Fiona Buffini whose last production was Arthur Miller’s All My Sons.
The cast comprises Colin Connor, Tom Dawze, Jarrad Ellis-Jones, Dave Fishley, Fifi Garfield, Keiren Hamilton-Amos, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Kieron Jecchinis, Sapphire Joy, Will Lewis, Milton Lopes, Alex Nowak, Caroline Parker, Tim Pritchett, Fergus Rattigan, Garry Robson and Emily Rose Salter.
The production is designed by Neil Murray with lighting by Mark Jonathan, music and sound design by Jon Nicholls and associate direction by Simon Startin. All performances will have embedded use of audio description, captioning and British sign language.
Our Country’s Good will première at Nottingham Playhouse from Friday 9 until Saturday 24 March (press night Tuesday 13 March). It then tours to New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Sheffield Crucible and Birmingham REP until 2 June.