We attended Are We There Yet? as guests of Sydney Opera House. Opinions and decision to review are ours.
Photo credit: Jaimi Joy
The set is very simple: at centre stage, a camper van.
It’s an Aussie icon that holds the potential of endless adventure.
In Are We There Yet?, based on the book by Alison Lester, a trio of siblings look back at one very significant memory of their childhood – their family’s trip around Australia.
8 year old Grace is the middle child, in between two brothers. Her family, including their overworked father and exhausted mother, take the camper van on a 3 month (“a whole school term!”) loop of Australia. The brothers rejoice at the prospect of months with “no learning,” but as every traveler knows, the education they’ll take away from this trip will be priceless.
Their travels take them to, among other places, the Great Australian Bight, Western Australia and Rottnest Island (where a couple of quokkas join the cast), a visit to a cousin in Darwin, Uluru, Surfer’s Paradise, Sydney, Canberra, and Tasmania. Grace reflects on all that they saw and did – a lot is as much about how the trip changed their family for the better and stronger, as it is about the actual sights.
With a cast of three, no additional set pieces, and a smattering of sweet songs, this is storytelling theatre at its loveliest. Playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer beautifully balances the sublime (moments like contemplating the vast expanse of the ocean) with charmingly fun (a couple of pool noodles are all that’s required to create a hilarious roller coaster theme park scene). He, like Alison Lester, clearly values childhood as a time of exploration, wonder and growth, and they manage to depict this earnestly without crossing into sappiness.
The cast, too, strike just the right tone. They are adults playing kids, finding their essence, rather than putting on “kid voices”. There is generosity, playfulness and honesty in their interactions. Narrator Grace (Annie Stafford), who tells the story as an adult looking back, is thoughtful and warm.
It is a beautiful an vast country that we are lucky to call home. Even if you aren’t leaving Sydney these school holidays, the trip with the Are We There Yet? family is grand tour. Moreover, it’s a reminder to build in the simple moments of fun and adventure that bring a family close together, and help children grow into the brightest versions of themselves.
Are We There Yet? is a play by Finegan Kruckemeyr, based on the book by Alison Lester
Produced by CDP Kids
Cast: Annie Stafford, Samuel Welsh, Alex Packard
It runs through January 22 at Sydney Opera House. Tickets and times here.
It it recommended for ages 3 – 10.
Find the full tour schedule here.