Beautiful Words


Beautiful Words is a play by the Australian playwright Sean Riley.

Plot

An epic chronicle of the refugee experience, Beautiful Words weaves together three very different stories of survival, told through the eyes of three children in different times and places. The outcome is heart-rending, humorous, and surprising by turns. From the horrors of Auschwitz Concentration Camp in the final days of World War II, to Taliban-ruled Kabul, to present day Australia, this enthralling play presents a rich tapestry of human experience, overlapping lives, and the bonds that unite generations.

First Production

Beautiful Words was first produced by Oddbodies Theatre Company, at Higher Ground, Adelaide, on 5 May 2006, with the following cast:
Kapo / Harry / Uncle Ramal: Craig Behenna
Mrs Damrosch / Pearl / Stella: Kim Liotta
Mama / Sheree / Ari’s Mother / Helen / Zaynab: Eliza Lovell
Young Roman / Ari: Tim Morgan
Old Roman / Alf: Dennis Olsen
Toby / Jan / Trent: Gabriel Partington
Viorica / Lurline / Mrs Greenberg: Jacqy Phillips
Ion / Saul: Stephen Sheehan
Papa / Victor / Ari’s Father / Technician: Andreas Sobik
Director, Sean Riley
Designer, Dean Hills
Lighting Designer, Sue Grey-Gardner
Sound Designer, Angus MacDonald