Get ready to dive into the world premiere of The Story of The Oars, Nigel Featherstone’s bold new theatrical work about the nature of lies and repercussions of telling the truth, at The Street Theatre from 19 – 21 September 2025.
Somewhere on the east coast of Australia, summer: four teenagers, including three brothers, drown on a lake. Thirty years later, with the lake now dry, Clocker and his son Tom make a visit. But when two lakeside residents appear, they are embroiled in an unimaginable commemoration – and unburden themselves of the truth.
Award-winning novelist and librettist, Nigel Featherstone, has collaborated with The Street to realise his vision for a deeply human and emotionally resonant play with spoken-word songs.
“I wanted to continue to explore new ways that narrative and music could be brought together on stage. In terms of theme, I wanted to explore Australia’s propensity to tell untruths about its history; what are the costs of starting to tell the truth?” said Featherstone.
Featherstone cracks open the play-with-songs form in The Story of the Oars. In fusing evocative spoken-word poetry and text with music, a mystery with stories hidden and revealed is told of a father and son, privileged brothers, friends and fractured loves.
Perth-based composer Jay Cameron achieves a spectacular score with ambient haunting soundscapes full of emotion and suspense adding to moments of beauty, clarity and tension on stage.
“I had to rethink conventional approaches to music making to create the atmosphere that best served the play, utilising techniques that could draw new and unusual sounds from the piano. Performed live and fully integrated with the staging, the music embodies the character and natural power of the lake,” said Cameron.
Brimming with relevance and resonance, The Story of the Oars tackles themes of class, privilege, and accountability through text, spoken word poetry, striking imagery, evocative music, and powerful performances.
“This play breaks theatrical form, flowing between scenes of complex human relationships and bold, and powerful spoken word songs. The shifting form is like the lake itself – mercurial and compelling and the deconstructed piano creates music that is surprising and expressive,” said director Shelly Higgs.
Directed by Higgs, the production features live music by Jay Cameron and a brilliant ensemble of four actors: Craig Alexander, fresh from his acclaimed performances in The Chosen Vessel, Sally Marett, Louise Bennet, and newcomer Callum Doherty in his professional mainstage debut.
Designers Véronique Benett (Waiting for Godot) and Leah Ridley (The Chosen Vessel) bring bold imagination to the work, inviting audiences into the intricate world of The Story of The Oars.
The Story of the Oars
The Street Theatre, 15 Childers Street, Canberra City West
Season: 19 – 21 September 2025
Information and Bookings: www.thestreet.org.au
Image: The Story of the Oars – artwork by Tobi Skerra