RATE OF DECAY

What Remains When There’s Nothing Left?

By Xanthe Jones

Rate of Decay is an original Australian Gothic play for youth performers, told through a tapestry of haunting vignettes. Set against dry riverbeds, abandoned towns, and scorched earth, it traces the unraveling of people, places, and systems—and what lingers when everything breaks down. Drawing on true events, dark folklore, and personal stories, it weaves themes of violence, loss, and the uncanny. The play uses suspense and character-driven moments to explore these shadows, inviting audiences to wander through fractured lives and forgotten places, and to find their own meaning in what remains.

This festival, Rate of Decay, will have two showings: 1) a theatre performance with industry professional actors and 2) a play reading with high-school age Young Artists. See details for each showing below.

CREATIVES

Playwright/Director | Xanthe Jones

YOUTH CAST

Maddison Bennie

George Brazil

Georgia Brough

Miwanyo Jongen Tsey

Eli Lucre

Saxon Miller

Genevieve Nix

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

PLAY READING WITH YOUNG ARTISTS

DATE: Saturday 11th October, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

VENUE: The Workshop Space
Seven Hills Hub
28 Tallowwood Street, Seven Hills

TICKETS: General Admission $20, Concession $15 (Use code LOOKUPCONCESSION)

STAGED PRODUCTION

DATES: Thursday 16th October, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Friday 17th October, 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm

VENUE: The Ron Hurley Theatre
Seven Hills Hub
28 Tallowwood Street, Seven Hills

TICKETS: General Admission $35, Concession $30 (Use code LOOKUPCONCESSION)

AGES & WARNINGS: Suicidal ideation, supernatural themes, stage combat, violence, mild coarse language, abuse. Missing persons, cults, and apocalypse

ACCESSIBILITY: Wheelchair Accessible.

Rate of Decay

Choose your tickets

Play Reading by Young Artists - Saturday 11th October, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ticket

Staged Performance - Thursday 16th October, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm ticket

Staged Performance - Friday 17th October, 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm ticket

Donations

Support Young Artists - Donate to Backbone Youth Arts