Bendigo locals bring a multicultural lens to the stage

EXPLORING the experiences of Indian, Chinese and Anglo Australians, Castlemaine Theatre Company’s new production Camp Darwin includes three cast members from Bendigo: Martin Thomas, a member of the local Melayalee community, multimedia artist Ivan Sun, and nurse Kate de Prada.

Directed by Kate Stones and written by Gisborne based Dr. Arjun Raina, the play will debut this May.

After a desperate year long wait to be repatriated to Australia from India, 150 Australian residents land in Darwin on a government assisted Qantas flight at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plot follows the experiences of six intrepid travellers who find themselves at the Centre for National Resilience at the Howard Springs quarantine facility.

Each assigned to their own donga, they are tested daily, with a positive result meaning they will be taken to the mysterious ‘red zone’.

Based on the playwright’s experience at the Howard Springs quarantine facility, the play asks audiences to consider the nature of human resilience, the importance of connection, and ultimately the unwavering desire to return home, wherever that may be.

Writer Dr. Raina encourages audiences to head along.

“Come see Camp Darwin, where different cultures negotiate the conditions of the Covid Camp. Sometimes difficult and, at times, joyful.”

For director Kate Stones, Camp Darwin signals a new direction for the company.

“We are delighted to be offering a work by an Indian Australian writer for the first time in the company’s history,” she said.

“But more than that, we are delighted to bring to our audiences a beautifully crafted work full of heart and hope, that opens a window on the subtle ways that men support each other through challenging times.”

Camp Darwin will be performed at 35 Etty Street, Castlemaine, in a new and exciting space downstairs.

Performance dates: 15-31 May 2026 (Fri/Sat 7.30pm and Sun 2pm).

Tickets are on sale via the Castlemaine Theatre Company’s website.

For more information, email [email protected]

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