Away

Play

Writers: Michael Gow

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
5
First Produced
1986
Genres
Drama
Settings
Contemporary, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Holiday destinations on Australia’s Gold Coast. 1968.
Cast Size
medium
Ideal for
College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre
Casting Notes
Mostly female cast
Includes late teen, adult, young adult characters

Synopsis

Set in late-1960s Australia, three families embark on life-changing vacations in Michael Gow’s classic play, Away. Gwen is determined to have a perfect holiday with her husband, Jim, and daughter, Meg, driving them--and herself--crazy as she worries about Meg’s increasing independence. Harry and Vic want to share a happy memory with their son, Tom, who is dying of leukemia; though his parents have tried to keep his terminal diagnosis a secret, Tom already knows the truth of his fate. Roy’s marriage is near to collapsing as his wife, Coral, loses herself to inconsolable grief in the wake of their son’s death in the Vietnam War. Though each family sets out for a different destination, they are all thrown together after a torrential storm brings them to the same beach on the Gold Coast. They confront grief, loss, and letting go as each struggles towards reconciliation, acceptance, and eventual healing.

Lead Characters


Away guide sections