YOUNG ARTISTS, BIG ISSUES
Corrugated Iron hands the stage over to emerging artists to perform and lead during NT Youth Week.
WORDS BROOKE GIBBS
IMAGE TYMUNNA CLEMENTS
DIRECTED BY EMERGING theatre-maker Pip O’Shea, as part of Corrugated Iron’s NXT Gen Artist in residence, Little Girls Alone in the Woods is a sharp contemporary work that asks a question young people quietly wrestle – who gets to decide who I am?
“Directing Little Girls Alone in the Woods has been an amazing learning experience both for me and for the young people involved. It’s got a lot of frustration and rage in it, about what we’d do to have freedom and what we’d do once we have it,” says O’Shea.
“It resonates with all ages who have experienced the feeling of being trapped before, especially any women who may have wished they could have just run off into the woods.”
Written by Australian playwright Morgan Rose, the play is a haunting exploration of girlhood, fear, and imagination. The story follows two young girls navigating the strange space between childhood and adolescence, where games, secrets, and stories begin to blur with darker realities. What starts as playful make-believe slowly reveals the ways young people process fear, power and the unknown.
“Truthfully, this is the biggest honour of my life to have a group of young artists stage a bunch of my work in the Top End, a place I have never visited, but would love to one day,” says Rose.
“When they emailed me with the idea, I spent the whole day showing friends the email, saying ‘Can you believe this?’ It’s what theatre is all about – connecting folks from different places and life experiences. I cannot wait to see how they interpret these works.”
Performed by Company C, Corrugated Iron’s leading acting ensemble, this production places young performers at the centre of a complex and demanding text. For Corrugated Iron, the production is an opportunity to bring a powerful contemporary Australian work to Territory audiences while also giving young performers the chance to grapple with complex themes through theatre.
“Young artists' ability to grapple with big issues can sometimes be underestimated. They are at the leading edge of commentary of where we are at. They are experts,” says Corrugated Iron Executive Producer and CEO Zoe Scrogings.
Company C was drawn to Little Girls Alone in the Woods for its feminist lens.
“Our young people are currently into Yellow Jackets and A Handmaid’s Tale, so the feminist work in this old Greek classic spoke to them. This play is about problems they deal with,” says Scrogings.
Known for its youth-focused programs and bold productions, Corrugated Iron has long been a creative home for emerging artists in the Territory. Their work often explores the experiences of young people in ways that are honest, imaginative, and sometimes confronting, and Little Girls Alone in the Woods fits within that tradition.
Rather than presenting a straightforward coming-of-age story, the play invites audiences into the inner worlds of its characters. The forest becomes a space where imagination runs wild, fear takes shape, and the boundaries between childhood play and real danger begin to shift.
Audiences can expect a production that leans into atmosphere and storytelling. Lighting, sound, and movement work together to create a world that feels both magical and unsettling, much like the childhood spaces the story explores.
For young performers, stepping into these roles can be both challenging and empowering. Theatre offers a space where difficult ideas can be explored safely and creatively, allowing performers to express emotions that might otherwise remain unspoken.
For audiences, the experience is just as powerful. Watching young actors bring these stories to life can be a reminder of how complex and imaginative childhood can be, and how those early experiences shape the people we become.
As Darwin’s arts scene continues to grow, productions like this highlight the important role youth theatre plays in the Territory’s creative landscape.
Little Girls Alone In The Woods
WHEN FRI 17 APR | 6.30PM SAT 18 APR | 1.30PM & 6.30PM
AT NIGHTCLIFF COMMUNITY CENTRE
COST $21 | $16 CONC $12 CHILD
INFO corrugatediron.org.au
