Overview
Stories from the law and justice system
Winner of Best Production for Young People at the 2024 Sydney Theatre Awards
Saplings is a powerful, funny and deeply human work drawn from real stories of young people who have experienced the youth justice system, brought to QPAC with honesty, heart and hope.
Yani wants to go to the Easter Show. Kai is searching for a sense of home. Shanika wants her mum back. Lachlan just wants a bowl of noodles. But when the justice system stands in the way, a bigger question emerges: what happens when the very system meant to support young people keeps holding them back?
Written by Yuwaalaray playwright Hannah Belanszky and directed by Kalkadoon artist Abbie-lee Lewis, Saplings is drawn from workshops and interviews with incarcerated youth from Marrickville to Moree, set to a soundtrack of original rap and hip-hop created by young people inside the system. Four dynamic performers bring multiple characters to life in a work that is as sharp and entertaining as it is moving.
A raw, poetic celebration of First Nations creativity and young people finding their voice against the odds.
Curriculum Links
Senior Secondary Syllabus: English, The Arts - Drama, Humanities and Social Sciences - Modern history, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Studies
Australian Curriculum - V9: The Arts - Drama, Music and Dance, English, Humanities and Social Sciences - History, Civics and Citizenship
Learning Resources
Extend the Experience
The below activities for students are part of the Interdisciplinary Learning Program and are designed to extend the experience beyond the performance. Book these via the Creative Learning Enquiry form.
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Music Workshop: Songs of Protest16 Jul 2026, 11:30am | Playhouse LoungeGuided by First Nations musicians, students will explore how song becomes a voice for truth and transformation.
Plan Your Visit
About Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP)
Since 1963, the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) has been the flagship home for young people to create, perform, and tell their stories. They create theatre by and for young people, championing their stories, perspectives, and potential. Based in Sydney, they deliver an annual program of performances, learning workshops, and artist development programs to empower and build the next generation of storytellers and audiences. They ignite the creative spirit of young Australians, providing them with the tools to enrich Australia’s cultural life with their stories.
Gallery
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SaplingsPhotography by Clare Hawley 
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SaplingsPhotography by Clare Hawley 
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SaplingsPhotography by Clare Hawley 
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SaplingsPhotography by Clare Hawley 
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SaplingsPhotography by Clare Hawley 
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SaplingsPhotography by Clare Hawley 
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SaplingsPhotography by Clare Hawley 
Cast
- Talijah Blackman-Corowa
- Maliyan Blair
- Sam Harmon
- Danny Howard
Creatives
- Writer Hannah Belanszky
- Director Abbie-lee Lewis
- Associate Director Ryan Whitworth-Jones
- Dramaturg Jane FitzGerald
- Co Set & Costume Designer Angela Doherty
- Co Set & Lighting Designer Morgan Moroney
- Composer & Sound Designer Michael Weir
- Fight Choreographer Tim Dashwood
- Production Manager Abbey Pace
- Stage Manager Anastasia Mowen
- Producer Hayden Tonazzi
- Associate Producer Ryan Whitworth-Jones
- Workshop Facilitator George Kemp
- Voice Coach Angela Sullen
QPAC's Creative Learning Program
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Fantastic Mr Fox For Schools: Fantastic Mr Fox
24 - 28 Jun 2026PlayhousePart of QPAC's Creative Learning Program, Fantastic Mr Fox sees live actors interact with lush, beautifully-realised animations, bringing to life the magic and touching detail of Dahl’s fantastical world.
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Storytelling for Healing Panel: Storytelling for Healing
25 Jun 2026, 1pmCremorne TheatreA panel discussion about the importance of storytelling in the healing journey for refugees.
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Lose to Win For Schools: Lose to Win
25 - 27 Jun 2026Cremorne TheatrePart of QPAC's Creative Learning Program, this production is a celebration of the South Sudanese community, of resilience, and the power of imagination.
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Sheltering For Schools: Sheltering
9 - 18 Jul 2026Glasshouse TheatrePart of QPAC's Creative Learning Program, this program of three powerful works honours Bangarra’s past while looking to the future.
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Lost & Found: Drama Workshop
Artists in ClassroomsThrough Process Drama, Teaching Artists Dave Burton and Emily Burton guide students into an imagined world shaped by curiosity, challenge and discovery.
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Songs of Protest Workshop
Artists in ClassroomsGuided by First Nations musicians, students will explore how song becomes a voice for truth and transformation – investigating stories of colonialism, the Stolen Generations, and resilience.
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Music Workshop: Songs of Protest
16 Jul 2026, 11:30amPlayhouse LoungeGuided by First Nations musicians, students will explore how song becomes a voice for truth and transformation – investigating stories of colonialism, the Stolen Generations, and resilience.
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Permission Granted For Schools: Permission Granted
23 - 25 Jul 2026Cremorne TheatrePart of QPAC's Creative Learning Program, in this production human sound machine Tom Thum has teamed up with harmony wizard and keys-sensation Tnee Dyer to give you the cheat codes to turn any sound into music.