Bunyip Barons, the first-ever original play from Upstage Productions, is a striking and evocative addition to Australia’s theatrical landscape. Set in Sydney in 1839, the play takes inspiration from the writings and illustrations of Louisa Anne Meredith, reimagining her early days in the colony as both observer and unwitting participant in a web of deceit, privilege, and moral decay. What begins as an artist’s gentle curiosity about life in the colony, quickly unravels into a haunting revelation of the darker truths underpinning colonial society.
The production transports audiences to the fictional Coy family’s grand estate, Evergreen House, in Elizabeth Bay — a glittering symbol of refinement and prosperity. The set design is nothing short of exquisite, conjuring the elegance of a colonial drawing rooms while allowing the ever-present bush to loom at its edges, a constant reminder of the untamed and the unknown. The juxtaposition of civilisation and wilderness is beautifully rendered, culminating in the unsettling presence of the Bunyip — a creature of fable that here becomes a potent metaphor for guilt, fear, and the shadows of the empire.
Just as the Bunyip of legend lures the unsuspecting into murky waters, the Coy family — the so-called “Bunyip Barons” — draw Louisa into their world of opulence and apparent generosity. Yet beneath their polished manners and glittering soirées lies a secret as chilling as it is cruel. Through an encounter with an escaped convict, Louisa uncovers the truth: the Coy family’s prosperity rests upon the brutal exploitation of their convict servants. These men and women, forced into endless servitude within the mansion’s walls, are kept from freedom through falsified records, extended sentences, and coercion. The revelation transforms the story from polite social observation into a powerful indictment of hypocrisy and greed, with Louisa forced to confront her own complicity in a society built on injustice.
Writer-director Timothy Smith’s script is rich with historical resonance yet never weighed down by it. His deft blend of realism and myth creates a compelling moral fable that probes at the fine line between power and corruption, civility and cruelty.
The performances are uniformly strong. John Brown imbues the Coy family’s butler with quiet dignity and a deep, unspoken sorrow, while Bernadette Hunter’s portrayal of the maid is spirited and heartfelt, her warmth cutting through the play’s darker tones. Their shared scenes offer the play’s emotional core, and the final revelations of their own “crimes” lend the production a moving sense of injustice and endurance.
By its conclusion, Bunyip Barons leaves the audience confronting an uncomfortable truth — that the myths we tell, like the Bunyip’s shadow in the reeds, often conceal the real monsters among us. This is a mature, meticulously realised piece of theatre: visually arresting, intellectually engaging, and emotionally resonant.
To book tickets to Bunyip Barons, please visit https://upstageproductionssydney.my.canva.site/.
Photographer: Clare T Photography
