Dear Son
A world premiere featuring powerful letters of love, hope and healing from First Nations fathers and sons.
“Dear Son is a gorgeous theatrical offering that is gentle in tone, bold in purpose, and executed with care and artistic excellence” — STAGE WHISPERS
Dear Son is a powerful new stage work that brings to life the heartfelt letters from the acclaimed book curated by Thomas Mayo—a Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man. These deeply personal letters, written by prominent First Nations voices to their sons and fathers, celebrate strength, vulnerability, culture, and connection across generations.
Adapted for the stage by celebrated theatre-makers Isaac Drandic and John Harvey, and featuring a stellar cast of leading First Nations actors, Dear Son is a moving exploration of First Nations masculinity told through story and song. With warmth, honesty and love, it honours the wisdom of fathers, the resilience of communities, and the enduring power of family.
PRODUCER
Queensland Theatre and State Theatre Company of South Australia
Seasons
Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre — Sydney
8 — 25 Jan 2026
Bille Brown Theatre, Queensland Theatre — Brisbane
28 Jun — 19 Jul 2025
Odeon Theatre — Adelaide
26 Jul — 16 Aug 2025
Creative Team
BASED ON THE BOOK BY Thomas Mayo
DIRECTOR AND CO-ADAPTOR — Isaac Drandic
CO-ADAPTOR — John Harvey
SET DESIGNER — Kevin O’Brien
COSTUME DESIGNER — Delvene Cockatoo-Collins
LIGHTING DESIGNER — David Walters
VIDEO DESIGNER — Craig Wilkinson
COMPOSER AND SOUND DESIGNER — Wil Hughes
CHOREOGRAPHY AND MOVEMENT DIRECTOR — Waangenga Blanco
ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER — Eben Love
ASSOCIATE COMPOSER AND SOUND DESIGNER — Patrick Mau
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR — Tibian Wyles
ASSISTANT CONSTRUCTION AND SET DESIGNER — Liam Maza
VOCAL COACH — Marcus Oborn
STAGE MANAGER — Pip Loth
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER — Yanni Dubler
ORIGNAL CAST
Jimi Bani
Waangenga Blanco
Trevor Jamieson
Kirk Page
Aaron Pedersen
Tibian Wyles
PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY – David Kelly
REVIEWS
★★★★
“A deeply empathetic experience that any audience can connect with”
LIMELIGHT MAGAZINE
“Theatre that sings with both ancestral reverence and contemporary urgency.”
STAGE WHISPERS
“Beautifully crafted and sensitively delivered by the five strong cast, Dear Son is a very important First Nations new work.”
ARTSHUB
“The lighting by David Walters, in collaboration with video designer Craig Wilkinson, is a revelation … the visual storytelling takes the entire production to the next level.”
STAGE WHISPERS
“An immensely compelling, thought-provoking and emotionally affecting piece of theatre.”
THE SCOOP
“A brilliant piece of storytelling, delivered with warmth, humility, and infectious humour.”
BRISBANE STAGE
“A powerful piece of theatre that deserves full houses every night.”
THE BLURB
“The production is often visually arresting, primarily through the interplay of David Walter’s emotive lighting design and Craig Wilkinson’s evocative video design.”
BLUE CURTAINS BRISBANE
“Both the lighting design by David Walters and the video design by Craig Wilkinson enable the story to be seen and felt, with the video literally ‘papering’ the characters to both explain stories of the past, and to remind us of who these proud men are representing. It is a genius touch.”
STAGE WHISPERS
PRODUCTION IMAGES
