• 24 years old 

• Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 2 

• Regular hospital visits, but it got progressively worse when she was 23 (a year prior to covid)  

• Married to poppy for 2 years, dating for 3 

• Black cat 

• Doesn't show many emotions, hates being pampered  

• Works at home prior to covid as an online English tutor 

Poppy-  

• 25 years old 

• Married to ruby 

• Works as a lawyer 

• Main provider for the family 

Alexander-  

• 36 years old  

• Really hard working, workaholic, works extra hours  

• Has family backstory that is a key factor to his over working mindset (poverty, being forced to be independent, etc) 

• Married to Rachel  

Rachel-  

• 35 years old  

• Married to Alexander for 8 years prior pandemic, time skip 5 years after pandemic  

• Both working as pharmacists  

Couple 1: the relationship between ruby and poppy explores not only the hardships of a lesbian marriage but showcases the struggles of health issues.  

Couple 2: Angie and Jackson  

the plot line outlines their marriage of 8 years. Before the pandemic they were running a pharmacy together. 

• Queensland 

• Pharmacy  

• House 1 (alexander and Rachels house) 

• House 2 (ruby and poppy's house) 

• Train 

• hospital 

• 24 years old 

• Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 3

• only child

• father passed away when she was 2 years old

• dating her girlfriend poppy for 3 

• Works at home prior to covid as an online English tutor 

Poppy-  

• 25 years old 

• dating ruby 

• Works as a lawyer 

• Main provider for the family 

Rachel-  

• 48 years old  

• widowed

• mother of ruby

• arrogant

Tray for all the doctor scenes  

Pillows

Blankets

Suitcase

Little table

Little lamp

Books for decoration

Fake plant

Chopping board

Wheely table (hospital bed)  

Two drama blocks (couch)  

White sheet (hospital bed)

Sheet (any colour) (couch cover)  

Gravestone   

Plague doctors mask

Medical utensils

Shower cap

Pandemic book

Medicine bottles and pills

Plates

Bowls

Cups

Fake blood

three smaller drama blocks (kitchen counter and black the hold the couch in place)

White tissue with blood on it

Covid masks

Covid tests

Photo frame

Music stand (for door) 

Couch throwovers  

Cardboard door

Clock

Handbag

ella skordakis playing poppy smith

angeline chee playing rachel kizzy

Physical theatre is used in the 'train scene' to vividly portray the rhythm and effort of getting on and off a moving train through expressive body movements and precise gestures. Physical theatre is a form of performance that emphasizes storytelling through the use of the body rather than relying mainly on dialogue.

https://www.amazon.com/Burning-EVA-ORNER/dp/B09M45NHTX or https://www.clickview.net/secondary/videos/47649868/australia-burns-silence-of-the-land 

• “The Rescue” – 2021 'The Rescue' chronicles the dramatic 2018 rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach, trapped deep inside a flooded cave. (ClickView) 

https://www.clickview.net/secondary/videos/58289708/the-rescue 

• “Beaconsfield “ -2011 The true story of Brant Webb and Todd Russell, who were trapped nearly a kilometer below the surface. (ClickView) 

https://www.clickview.net/secondary/videos/29727/beaconsfield 

• “Saving MG99” – 2021 Documentary – A Refugee story with heart. (ABC iView) 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-20/saving-mg99/13504454 

• "Storm Boy" by Colin Thiele – Picture Book 

https://matthewjageranduniversenews.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/06020807.pdf 

• "The Storm Whale" by Benji Davies- Picture Book 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbWjTRiZR0Q 

• Australia's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic – Government and community actions 

• "Beds Are Burning" by Midnight Oil – Song 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejorQVy3m8E 

• “Rabits” by James Marsden and Shaun Tan – Picture Book 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=64&v=T128Y-0h6Wk&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3D%25E2%2580%25A2%2B%25E2%2580%259CRabits%25E2%2580%259D%2Bby%2BJames%2BMarsden%2Band%2BShaun%2BTan%26rlz%3D1C1GCEA_enAU1137AU1137%26oq%3D&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE 

Claustrophobic Setting & Context (External Tension)

• Lockdown: The pandemic context naturally generates tension, restricting movement and forcing everybody within the close proximity of the home. The addition of Ruby's mum into their living space, already strained by lockdowns, adds to the claustrophobia. The loss of privacy, routine disruption, and shifting power dynamics heighten unease.

Health Crisis (Physical Tension)

• Ruby’s Cystic Fibrosis: A chronic, life-threatening condition already creates ongoing tension. The stakes are raised significantly once she catches covid, something that could easily be fatal for someone in her condition. Her worsening health introduces fear and helplessness. The narrative tension grows as every cough signals a turn for the worse.

Relational Conflict (Emotional Tension)

• Poppy’s Dual Role: She's a partner and a caregiver—two identities that can come into conflict. As Ruby's health declines and stress mounts, Poppy begins to feel overwhelmed, trapped, or invisible. Rachel's arrival brings unresolved family dynamics to the forefront. Whether it’s tension between Poppy and Rachel, or Rachels influence on Ruby’s choices and emotions, the household becomes resident to negative emotions.

Psychological Descent (Internal Tension)

• Poppy’s Struggle: Watching someone you love deteriorate while feeling powerless creates deep emotional conflict. Add to this a changed daily life, isolation, and resentment towards Rachel or guilt for not being able to truly help Ruby, we see a person nearing psychological collapse. along with ruby, her own suffering—physically, emotionally, and existentially—can cause her to lash out, withdraw, further straining the relationship.

Poppy vs. Rachel:

• Poppy feels protective and territorial over ruby, especially with rubys condition and of what shes heard about rubys relationship with her mother. Ruby’s mum, Rachel, arriving due to her own crisis, imposes her opinions and only now decides to revert to a parental role, undermining Poppy. Ruby is torn between her partner and her mother.

rachels personal issues:

• With Rachel having lost her job and dealing with her own grief and stress, survival instincts kick in, often at the expense of kindness or rationality.

Relationship Conflict

• Ruby and Poppy’s dynamic shifts. Moments of love are weighed down by obligation, fear, and grief. The intimacy they once shared become strained or performative, leading to conflicts.

Flashback to when ruby was first diagnosed with cystic fibrosis

Monologue-

Monologues were present during the news reporter or Dan Andrews scenes.

Silence-

Poppy has a moment of silence alone as she stands by Ruby's grave, taking in the reality of the situation.

Use of fact-

Real facts and information were told on the matter of how the Black Death and Scarlett Fever were delt with during their peak.

ruby sees a light at the end of the tunnel, getting a lung transplant to improve her condition, however, with the introduction of this lung, the chances of her getting sick were increasingly higher. when Rubys mother comes to stay with, bringing along the new corona 19 virus, ruby immediately catches it, but doesn't blame her mum. this reflects on Ruby's kind and forgiving personality, not blaming her mother even after all they went through growing up, however, this may also be a weak trait that cost multiple fights between ruby and poppy.

Australian Gothic horror in theatre is a genre that combines elements of traditional Gothic horror with Australian settings, themes, and culture.

Gothic horror theatre sets mainly in the outback, remote towns, or rugged wilderness, where the landscape itself becomes a source of fear and mystery. however, in my performance, we explored the themes of Australian gothic horror with the reality of covid 19 in Victoria, Australia, and through the presence of the doctors from pandemics from decades ago. in one of my scenes, you see a flashback through time as the concepts of the Black Plague and Scarlett Fever are introduced to the narrative. this was incorporated into the performance to not only reach the gothic stimulus, but to also give the perspective of how pandemics were dealt with years ago compared to now.

we tried to coordinate our costumes with items pf clothing we thought people would have worn in 2021. for example, we chose tracksuit pants and jumpers to symbolize the amount of time spent home, and how nobody needed to dress up because leaving their house wasn't really an option.

props-

we strategically used props such as masks, medicine bottles and tissues to show not only how the people living in the household deal with the realities of covid and Ruby's cystic fibrosis, but also to give the set a more homely feel.

set-

as a group we really took pride in our set. we tried to make the 'apartment' look as realistic as we could, incorporating a couch, kitchen, and front door. the aim of the set was to bring the audience back to the times of covid 19, and how it was like living back then in the enclosed space.