Saplings
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
Saplings is a powerful, funny and deeply human work drawn from real stories of young people who have experienced the youth justice system, brought with honesty, heart and hope to Cremorne Theatre, QPAC from July 15 to 18.
Yani wants to go to the Easter Show. Kai is searching for a sense of home. Shanika wants her mum back. Lachlan just wants a bowl of noodles. But when the justice system stands in the way, a bigger question emerges: what happens when the very system meant to support young people keeps holding them back?
Written by Yuwaalaray playwright Hannah Belanszky and directed by Kalkadoon artist Abbie-lee Lewis, Saplings is drawn from workshops and interviews with incarcerated youth from Marrickville to Moree, set to a soundtrack of original rap and hip-hop created by young people inside the system.
Four dynamic performers bring multiple characters to life in a work that is as sharp and entertaining as it is moving.
Don't miss this raw, poetic celebration of First Nations creativity and young people finding their voice against the odds.
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Photo credits: Daniel Boud.
Saplings
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC
Melbourne St
South Brisbane
Jul 15-18
$49 + trans. fee