Reviews

Art has always been able to express human truths that are otherwise too painful to talk about. And so it is with the Stolen Generation and Aboriginal deaths in custody – deeply intertwined DNA strands of Australian history that are so painful, surreal and vile that it is difficult to know where to start. Gary Lang – Larrakia man, dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director from NT Dance Company (Indigenous-owned dance company from the Northern Territory) – believes that truth telling is the way to create a pathway to healing.

Faraway is an hour in a realm that is far removed from our everyday lives, an empty dark stage relieved only with ropes tied to look like vines hanging from the ceiling. A sign that we are going to experience a unique theatre experience.

As the director and choreographer Jenni Large succinctly explains -

Wanneroo Repertory’s opening show for 2026 is the black comedy Exit Laughing. Nicely polished and well performed, this was a positive way to open the year.

The old theatre saying is, ‘Don’t act with children or dogs,’ and both are key elements in this story. Not simply a one-hander, Director/Writer Michael Mills powerfully uses the voices of Mary Anning, from three stages of her life, and rather than a predictable chronology, they appear together, performing both separately, and as one. Adele Binns as Mary aged 11 is a vocal and character powerhouse. She is one to watch. Equally, Mia Ferraretto, as 24-year-old Mary, moves confidently, and sings and acts with passion.