Detention

A new stage production igniting conversation, change and truth-telling.

Detention tells the compelling tale of two young people from disparate worlds finding each other amidst a figurative minefield: Sima, a Hazara refugee fleeing a detention centre when her visa has been rejected, and Dan, a marginalised boy raised in a caravan park in regional Australia. Their shared quest for a sense of home and safety binds them together.

Based on the novel by Tristan Bancks, this production explores the refugee experience, centring on themes of displacement, belonging, and shared humanity. Developed in collaboration with Hazara artists and young people, Detention seeks to ignite conversations, using theatre as a catalyst for truth-telling and change.

Commissioned by Monkey Baa, co-written by Callan Purcell and Kobra Sayyadi, directed by Randa Sayed, and created in collaboration with the Hazara community – ‘Detention’ is an edge-of-your seat theatrical experience.