Stories of young people

Boy Overboard
Adapted by Patricia Cornelius from Morris Gleitzman's novel
Australian Theatre for Young People
July 19-23, Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres, corner of Church and Market streets, Parramatta, Sydney
$21.65/$16.65, members $11.65
Bookings, (02) 8839 3399

Jamal is just like any other 13-year-old boy. He plays soccer among burned-out tanks and troop carriers, he tries to keep his 10-year-old sister Bibi out of trouble with the government and he gets nervous around landmines. When Jamal and his family are forced to flee the Taliban in Afghanistan, they set off on a journey halfway around the world encountering storms, pirates, smugglers and assassins.

According to Australian Theatre for Young People artistic director Timothy Jones, "These are events that directly affect contemporary Australian youth, as they are stories of young people just like them — it could be their story", Jones said. "By using 16 young Australians as the theatrical tellers of this story, ATYP hopes to make explicit our inherent connection with the experiences of 21st century arrivals to Australia, whether they be seeking asylum, fleeing danger, or searching for a new beginning."

From Green Left Weekly, July 13, 2005.

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From GLW issue 633