The theatrical adaptation of Thomas Mayo's 2021 collection of essays, "Dear Son," has opened in Sydney at Belvoir Street theatre. The production, which premiered in Brisbane and had a season in Adelaide, features essays by 13 prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men about fatherhood.
The play incorporates humor alongside its themes, which include trauma, healing, toxic masculinity, misogyny, and the dehumanization experienced through government policies and media. Actors Jimi Bani, Kirk Page, Tibian Wyles, Waangena Blanco, and director Isaac Drandic (filling in for Luke Carroll on opening night) perform two or three letters each, with stories occasionally interwoven.
Key performances included Jimi Bani portraying Kulkalgal man Yessie Mosby's story about fighting for his children's future in the Torres Strait amid global heating. Kirk Page performed Stan Grant's essay on his father's struggle to retain Wiradjuri language and culture, and Daniel Morrison's story about coming out as gay. Tibian Wyles performed country singer Troy Cassar-Daley's songs and an essay about breaking the cycle of growing up without a father, as well as Charlie King's essay about his father. Waangena Blanco depicted footballer Joe Williams' story of regret regarding partying and alcoholism.
Wil Hughes' sound design, David Walters' lighting, and Craig Wilkinson's projected video elements contribute to the production. The play's denouement includes Wambaya and Gudanji man Joel Bayliss's essay, which recounts him holding his baby while learning of his mother's death and simultaneously witnessing a report on the abuse at Don Dale Youth Detention Centre. This prompted Bayliss to respond to a racist cartoon by Bill Leak with a viral post of himself and his children, leading to the #IndigenousDads movement.
The final scene features the actors breaking the fourth wall to introduce themselves by their real names, sharing personal stories and hopes for their children's future, supported by projected family photographs.