Our Country's Good

Timberlake Wertenbaker revisits her breakthrough drama addressing power and justice in the British court system through a tale based on the amazing true story of Australia's first prison colony. With deportation and punishment at the center of the political landscape, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning drama is especially pertinent in 2024. Rachel O'Riordan was named one of The Stage's 100 most influential individuals in theater and appointed artistic director of the Lyric Hammersmith in 2019. Her directorial vision for Wertenbaker’s seminal work is sure to breathe new life into a classic. Catch this heart-wrenching production at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre later this year.

The Story

Embarking on a treacherous voyage spanning 15,000 miles to Australia, a band of British convicts faces the harsh realities of their impending sentences. Upon their arrival in 1788, the brutal truth of their new existence becomes starkly apparent. Amidst the pervasive violence and despair, ambitious young lieutenant Ralph Clark conceives an unconventional plan to maintain order: staging a play.