Clancestry festival: The Visitors

The Visitors, a compelling centrepiece of Clancestry festival 2025, takes the stage at QPAC’s Playhouse from July 23–26. Written by acclaimed Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison and directed by celebrated Quandamooka creative Wesley Enoch, this award-winning production powerfully reimagines a defining day in January 1788. On a sweltering afternoon, seven clan leaders – six Elders and one new initiate – gather on a sandstone escarpment overlooking the harbour. As a mysterious fleet creeps closer, they must unanimously decide whether to welcome the strangers or send them away. What begins as friendly banter and a sharing of meals soon gives way to a momentous collective decision-making process.

Co-produced by Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company, The Visitors is a gripping and meticulously researched work that delves into one of the most profound and painful moments in Australia’s history, while offering a sharply observed and entertaining look at how communities grapple with change and uncertainty. Winner of Best Mainstage Production and Best Ensemble at the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards, The Visitors challenges and entertains, while speaking directly to our present.