Dear Son: Letters and reflections from First Nations fathers and sons

'We pull the oars of truth.'

Five First Nations men gather to pick up the pieces of the local cookhouse after a storm. It's a place where they go to share a yarn and a meal with each other. As the house regains its shape, one man seems quieter than the rest-he's trying to write a letter to his son.

Adapted from Thomas Mayo's 2021 anthology of the same name, Isaac Drandić and John Harvey's Dear Son brings thirteen letters from First Nations men to life, imbued with humour, candour, and the spirit of truth-telling.

'An immensely compelling, thought-provoking and emotionally affecting piece of theatre.' The Scoop

'An emotionally complex examination of First Nations masculinity.' Limelight

'Uproariously funny, achingly sad, and deeply expressive.' Stage Whispers

Thomas Mayo is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander man and a father of five who was born and raised on Larrakia Country in Darwin. He is an awardwinning author of seven books and is the Assistant National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia. He serves as a board member for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation among numerous other board positions in his trade union work.Thomas was entrusted with the Uluru Statement from the Heart after participating in the Uluru National Constitutional Convention in 2017, taking it around Australia to build the campaign for a constitutionally enshrined Voice and a Makarrata Commission. He was a prominent leader in the referendum campaign for a Voice in 2023 and continues to advocate for justice and recognition for Indigenous peoples.

Isaac Drandić is an award-winning theatre-maker and one of Australia's leading voices in contemporary First Nations performance. A Noongar man from the south-west of Western Australia, he is nationally recognised for his work as a director, dramaturg, actor and playwright, and for his leadership in the development of new First Nations works across the country. He currently serves as Head of First Nations Theatre at Queensland Theatre, following significant appointments as Associate Artistic Director/Resident Dramaturg at Queensland Theatre, Resident Artist at Playwriting Australia, and Associate Director at ILBIJERRI Theatre Company.Isaac's directing and dramaturgy credits span mainstage companies and major festivals, including Dear Son (Queensland Theatre/State Theatre Company South Australia), Dear Brother (Queensland Theatre), 37 (Queensland Theatre/Melbourne Theatre Company), The Visitors (Victorian Opera), The Season and Hide the Dog (Performing Lines), At What Cost? and Coranderrk (Belvoir), City of Gold (Queensland Theatre/Griffin Theatre Company), Blood on the Dance Floor (ILBIJERRI), Bigger and Blacker, From Darkness (La Boite), From Campfire to Stage Light (JUTE), and codirecting Archie Roach's acclaimed concert work Into the Bloodstream. As a playwright, Isaac's plays for children have toured extensively to remote communities including Pormpuraaw, Mornington Island, Camooweal and Normanton, reaching more than 20,000 young people. Isaac's accolades include multiple Green Room Awards, including Best Direction and Best Production for The Season, and Matilda Awards for Best Direction and Best Production for 37. He remains dedicated to culturally informed storytelling, community engagement, and the mentorship of emerging First Nations writers and creatives, bringing powerful, place-rooted stories to stages and communities across Australia.

John Harvey is a playwright and multidisciplinary artist whose work spans theatre, film and installation and is of Saibai Island (Torres Strait) and English descent.His theatre writing includes: The Return (Malthouse Theatre), winner of the 2023 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Drama; Dear Son(Queensland Theatre, State Theatre Company of South Australia); Heart is a Wasteland (Malthouse Theatre, ILBIJERRI Theatre, Yirra Yaakin Theatre); and international co-production Black Ties (ILBIJERRI Theatre / Tē Rehia) presented at Asia TOPA, Sydney, Auckland Festivals). He is the inaugural recipient of the First Nations Writers Residency (FNAWN, AAA) in New York and Boston and has held writer residencies at Malthouse Theatre and Footscray Arts. He directed A Little Piece of Heaven (Orana Arts) for the Yirramboi Arts Festival. His screen directing credits include: the awardwinning documentaries Still We Rise (ABC), recipient of the 2023 AIDC and ADG Best Documentary Awards, and Off Country (NITV), winner of the 2022 ADG Award for Best Documentary. His acclaimed short film Katele (Mudskipper) won Best Australian Short Film at Flickerfest and MIFF. He produced Spear, premiering at Toronto International Film Festival, Sand from The Turning (Biennale) and ABC series The Warriors.John's collaboration with Walter Waia, The Heart of the Universe, is a major multi-channel video and sound installation for the 2026 Biennale of Sydney, and his work Canopy is part of the permanent installation for ACMI, later realised as public mural for Melbourne Metro. A 2023 Sidney Myer Creative Fellow, he is the Creative Director of Brown Cabs and board member of Bangarra Dance Theatre.