Children of the Black Skirt

Book excerpt: Three lost children discover an abandoned orphanage in the bush. They become trapped in this timeless world, haunted by spirits of the past and perpetually tormented by the ominous Black Skirt, the cruel governess who floats up and down the orphanage corridors wielding her enormous scissors. Soon, the children begin to listen to the stories of these restless spirits and by doing so, they find a light that will lead all lost children home. This new gothic fairytale for young people tells a history of Australia through the eyes of children, from convict times, to early white occupation to the vast era of the Stolen Generation to World War Two and beyond. A visually and aurally evocative play exploring themes of history, reconciliation and the cathartic power of storytelling. This is Roald Dahl meets Charles Dickens under the harsh Australian sun. (1 act, 7 male, 15 female).