The Shepherd’s Hut arrives on stage fully formed: a relentless, bristling realisation of Tim Winton’s 2018 novel of the same name, in an adroit adaptation by Tim McGarry.

Director Matt Edgerton’s self-contained, clear-eyed accomplishment makes the most of its literary roots while also piecing together a unique theatrical language, to underpin the work’s visual and emotional bona fides.

The Shepherd’s Hut focuses on the story of Jaxie Clackton (Ryan Hodson), a teenage boy on the run, facing the extreme heat, hunger, dehydration and isolation of the outback. Elevated by Hodson’s full-throttled, emotionally-charged performance, Jaxie is searching for peace – not just quiet, but actual peace.

This makes sense against what we learn about the world he’s escaping: a violent father; his violent end; and the violence of a society in which he cannot get a foothold. Jaxie’s story emerges through flashbacks and memories. It is full of secrets and........

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