02/09/2026
AS I sit down to continue write the play about the missing Beaumont Children, who were abducted on the 26th of January 1966, never to be seen again, to go on at the Adelaide Fringe in February next year. I'm amaze at the inability to detect people who sexually abuse children. We have solved the mystery of 60 years, who did it how and his motivations. As I write the play and research the issue with the help of Forensic Psychiatrists that I work with at the Department of Psychiatry at University of Melbourne I realise the purpose of the play is to describe the nature of a person who engages in this type of abuse. The aim in part of the play is that people who are so inclined should seek treatment for their condition.
Writing abut such a topic for the theatre i a way that cannot be done in any other medium. The perpetrator is on the stage, he talks, he is real,he is human and he is right in front of you.
In spite of the nature of the topic, I am hoping the play can be presented in such a way that it highlights human conduct that doesn't sensationalise, shock or disgust the audience. It tells a story that has been a part of Australian life for sixty years.
Now, having had a break, I must continue writing it. I would be interested to hear peoples views on writing such a play. And the value of presenting such a piece for the theatre.
