A mother, in a time of war. Members of her family go missing, one after the other – but she never loses hope. A rich, sweeping new play that combines two great pillars of literature – the Mahabharatha and Antigone – with the untold histories of the Sri Lankan civil war to forge a new story about surviving loss, discovering love and building a path to justice.

“Counting and Cracking was written in honour of those who tried to halt Sri Lanka’s descent into civil war. The Jungle and the Sea is written in honour of those who survived the war, and the ways they found to uphold their dignity even when everything else was falling down around them.”
S. Shakthidharan

Written and directed by S. Shakthidharan & Eamon Flack

World Premiere Season
Belvoir Theatre
Co-Produced with Lingalayam Dance Company
12 NOV – 18 DEC 22
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“Another achievement of sustained feeling and empathy, of insight into chaos, power and the human instinct for joy and survival.” – The Guardian

“Extraordinary… This dares to dream on an epic scale.” – Sydney Morning Herald

“A soaring achievement, carried by an extraordinary international ensemble.” – Limelight

“Astonishing with the depth of emotion it elicits. A profoundly moving work.” – Suzy Goes See

“This play will hold immense value for the Tamil community in Australia, not least because there is very little in the way of Australian public acknowledgement about their war histories… We are given multifaceted identities, as the actors take us into their kaleidoscopic worlds… Survivors of war are more than the traumas of war they carry with them.” – The Conversation

Production images by Sriram Jeyaraman

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