Following last year's production of Hoods by Angela Betzien, Barking Gecko Arts is back with another bold production for teenage audiences. Aimed at secondary school students in Years 9 to 12, The Stones by Tom Lycos and Stefo Nantsou, directed by Sam Longley, explores tough questions about youth, consequences, and where recklessness ends, and responsibility begins.
The story begins with a dare between two boys on a Sunday afternoon, each with pockets full of stones. What starts as a game takes a fatal turn on a freeway overpass. Inspired by real events, the play draws on the true story of two Melbourne boys who threw rocks from a motorway bridge in 1994, resulting in the death of a university lecturer. The trial divided public opinion and made national news. With insights from Victorian Police involved in the case, Lycos and Nantsou fictionalise the characters and weave in similar incidents from around the world.
Isaac Diamond and Luke Joseph Ryan play all four roles in the show, moving seamlessly between the teenage boys, Shyboy and Yahoo, and the detectives, Russo and Quinn. With impressive physical and vocal skills, a simple set, and live music, the production keeps the audience engaged from start to finish.
Since its debut in 1996, The Stones has been performed over 500 times in Australia, North America, and Europe. Barking Gecko also presented the play in 2003. It is still considered one of the most important works for young audiences.
Director Sam Longley first saw The Stones at a Canadian children's theatre festival in 1999, while performing with Barking Gecko. He later acted in the company’s 2003 production. Now, as Artistic Director, he brings both performing and directing experience to the show. “I had never seen a theatre work for young audiences that carried such depth with such a light touch,” says Longley. “Although the script was written more than twenty years ago, the issues it explores, especially youth justice and the age of criminal responsibility, are still urgent and relevant.”
The Stones is a recommended General Drama text for the Western Australian senior secondary curriculum and will be performed at Subiaco Arts Centre, Koorliny Arts Centre in Kwinana, Don Russell Performing Arts Centre in Thornlie, and Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre during Term 2, 2026. A Creative Learning Guide will be available to help teachers and students engage with the performance before and after the performance. Schools with a low Index of Community Socio-educational Advantage (ICSEA) score can attend at no cost as part of Barking Gecko Arts’ commitment to access. Educators can contact the Barking Gecko Arts’ Learning and Engagement team at school.bookings@barkinggecko.com.au for questions and bookings.
The 2026 school season production of The Stones is supported by the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, Creative Australia, Minderoo Foundation, Cybec Foundation, Woodside Energy, Horizon Power, Peter & Elizabeth Moore Foundation, Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, Wright Burt Foundation, Quercus Foundation, and No Place for Poverty.
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