This play deals with an incident which occurred early in the history of the colony of New South Wales, Australia - the so-called "Rum Rebellion".

New South Wales struggled as a new British penal colony, facing drought, famine, social incoherence, and the development of an intransigent military cartel which did not lose any opportunity to exploit the circumstances. Together with an entrepreneurial landowner society led by John Macarthur, they made the task of the Governor, William Bligh (of The Bounty) very difficult. The resulting crescendo of conflict boiled over into Australia's only military coup, in which the full forces of the New South Wales Corps marched up and arrested Bligh, holding him under house arrest for a year before allowing him to set sail from Sydney Harbour.

The stage play has an indigenous narrator, the bemused and somewhat indignant Tedbury, whose contact with the invading community does not end well.

As far as possible, the play respects actual historical facts and attempts to illustrate a recurring pattern of conflicts and motivations of individuals in power recognizable even in the present day. 

Narration by Sarah Bacaller

Roles performed by Peter Tucker, David Prickett, Alan Weyman, Elizabeth Chambers, Amanda Friday, Phil Benson, Graham Scott, Denis Daly, Graham Scott, Mark Crowle-Groves, Noel Badrian, Craig Franklin, and Andrew Coleman.

Sound effects were produced by Peter Tucker. Additional sounds provided by julius_galla, Kyle Arkisto, Miastodzwiekow, Bosk1m, Tomattka and Plantmonkey.

Music

All music composed and arranged by Unread Pages.

Introduction

"Bligh's Hornpipe" by Peter Tucker (with quotes from "Rule Brittania" (Trad.) and "Radetzky March" (Johann Strauss Snr))

Music for revolution scene and interval

"British Grenadiers" (Trad.)

Closing music

"Macarthur's Woolshed" by Peter Tucker

Audio edited by Peter Tucker.