Clancestry

The Visitors

By Jane Harrison and directed by Wesley Enoch

Playhouse, QPAC


23 - 26 Jul 2025
$79 - $89

A transaction fee of $7.50 applies.

Discounts Available

Concession, Youth, Groups of 4+, Groups, Schools

more info

1 hour 15 minutes

(no interval, subject to change without notice)

The Visitors featuring the 2023 cast

Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

Visitors leave. Right?

By Jane Harrison
Directed by Wesley Enoch

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?

Having recently been awarded Best Mainstage Production and Best Ensemble at the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards, The Visitors by Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison, and directed by one of Australia’s most celebrated directors, Quandamooka man Wesley Enoch, comes to QPAC for a strictly limited season.

Co-produced by Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company, The Visitors is at once a riveting, deeply researched insight into one of the most impactful and painful days in Australia’s history, and a hugely entertaining study of how communities respond to change and the unknown.

The Visitors is part of Clancestry.  Find out more here.


A powerful and contemplative performance that challenges the mind and moves the heart.

- Time Out 

An outstanding cast of zealous actors demonstrate unequivocally the resilience and the indomitability of the communities that they represent so gloriously. Their chemistry is immaculate, in a show that speaks with a beautifully harmonious sense of solidarity.

- Suzy Goes See

Powerful, authentic First Nations storytelling.

- The Guardian

Cast

John Blair: Nucoorilma, Gamilaroi

Zoe Walters: Anmatyerre

Sean Dow: Gunggandji, Birigubba

James Slee: Kuku Yalanji, Goa

Stephen Geronimos: Gamilaroi

Beau Dean Riley Smith: Wiradjuri, Gamilaraay

Najwa Adams: Birri Gubba


Creatives

Jane Harrison

Playwright

Wesley Enoch

Director

Elizabeth Gadsby

Set and Costume Designer

Karen Norris

Lighting Designer

Brendon Boney

Composer and Sound Designer

Liza-Mare Syron

Associate Director 2023

Aunty Yvonne Simms

Cultural Liaison

Corina Norman

Dharug/Dharawal Linguist

Jordan Ryan-Hennessey

Dharug Linguist/Coach

Shana O’Brien

Associate Designer


Accessibility

To book the below accessibility enhanced performances please call QTIX Group Sales: (07) 3840 7466 or email groups@qtix.com.au.

Tactile Tour

Sat 26 July 2025, 11:30 AM

Tactile tours offer blind and low-vision patrons the chance to touch and examine props and costumes and hear the cast and crew describe the visual aspects of the production. Please meet pre-show at 11:30am at the Playhouse Theatre Cloakroom.

Audio Described

Sat 26 July 2025, 1:00 PM

Trained Audio Describers provide a commentary with concise descriptions of actions, expressions and gestures to compliment the theatre experience for patrons who are blind or have low vision. Description is relayed via a discreet headset using radio frequency.

Auslan Interpreted

Sat 26 July 2025, 1:00 PM

Selected performances are professionally signed by Auslan interpreters.

Important Information

Age Recommendation

Recommended for ages 13+.

Warning

This performance contains infrequent coarse language, themes of racial violence, descriptions of violence, intergenerational trauma and theatrical haze.  

Please Note

Please be advised, this production may contain voices and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have passed away. 

Accessibility at QPAC

For wheelchair users, Companion Card holders or those requiring assistance, dedicated seating options are available, and bookings can be made through our Call Centre by calling 136 246. You can also find information on access and accessibility at QPAC here .

Presented by QPAC as part of Clancestry

A Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company production

This event is part of the QPAC 40 program, celebrating 40 years of joy, inclusion, gathering and stories.

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