Brisbane

he air is thick and wet and the sun burns your skin like it hates your guts... It’s 1942 and I’m fourteen, which means I face two obstacles on a daily basis. One: Entire countries that want to kill me. And two: The Cricket Boys on Mulvany Street.

Danny Fisher is coming of age at a time when Brisbane faces the threat of extinction.

When his beloved brother Frank is killed in the bombing of Darwin, Danny’s family is ripped apart. Ignored by grieving parents, the awkward Danny is left to fend for himself, and to try to fill the shoes left behind. Thrust headlong into the threat of war and the hope of love, Danny, like his city, is growing up fast.

Aided by his potty-mouthed best-friend Patty, Danny meets an American serviceman identical to Danny’s lost brother. But when the American begins teaching him how to fly, Danny comes up with a dangerous plan to prove his own worth.

Ripe with understated larrikinism and emotional resonance, Brisbane is a celebration of a city and a childhood – and a requiem for all that was lost.

"Ryan's script is rich, textured and very funny at times. This is a winner. And it's our story." - The Courier Mail

"Brisbane is a testament to just how vital and engaging even historical theatre can be... A surprisingly riveting, insightful and accessible self-portrait of some of the city’s most turbulent days." - The Creative Issue

"Brisbane triumphs... Within the nooks and crannies of our history lurk the most absorbing of theatre tales." - Blue Curtain