Saplings: Real stories of young people who have experienced the youth justice system on stage

FULL ARTICLE AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW 

Real stories of young people who have experienced the youth justice system on stage in SaplingsThe Australian Theatre for Young People‘s (ATYP) acclaimed production, Saplings, is set to make its mark as it tours to Australian stages in 2026.

Written by Yuwaalaraay playwright Hannah Belanszky and directed by proud Kalkadoon woman Abbie-lee Lewis, the work is a powerful look at the youth justice system through the eyes of young Australians. Saplings premiered at the 2024 Sydney Festival, winning the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Young People.

Saplings is a collection of hilarious and heartbreaking stories about young people in conflict with the youth justice system, drawn from workshops and interviews with incarcerated youth from Marrickville to Moree. Set to a soundtrack of rap and hip-hop music created by young people in the youth justice system, Saplings gives an honest, raw look into the adult consequences faced by some of our most vulnerable individuals.

Yani wants to go to the Easter Show, Kai wants a sense of home, Shanika wants her Mum back, and Lachlan… well, he just wants his bowl of noodles. But when the justice system is all that stands between these young people and what they want, it raises an important question: how do young people grow when the system keeps cutting them down? This poetic, personal and unexpected production will leave you asking who’s really to blame.

“In 2022, with Raise The Age, Australia debated whether a child could be held criminally responsible at the age of 10. In 2026, some Australian states have implemented Adult Crime, Adult Time laws. The conversation continues but it’s not happening with the people it directly affects – the young people,” says director Abbie-lee Lewis.

Four talented young actors take on multiple roles in this poetic, personal, and unexpected production that leaves the audience asking who’s really to blame.  Talijah Blackman-Corowa (Black Snow, Plum, The Death of Bunny Munro), Maliyan Blair (ABC’s Total Control), Sam Harmon (RENT, 50th Anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar) and Danny Howard, who is making his acting debut for ATYP, bring to life the stories of today’s youth battling a legal system that doesn’t want them to succeed.

The Australian Theatre for Young People has been the flagship home for young people to create, perform, and tell their stories since 1963. They create theatre by and for young people, championing their stories, perspectives, and potential. It delivers an annual program of performances, workshops, and artist development programs to empower and build the next generation of storytellers and audiences.

Image: Saplings – photo by Clare Hawley

See Saplings at The Joan, Tuesday 25 August at 1pm & 7:30pm
BOOK NOW & MORE INFO