How it is that, even though future brings us opportunities, we still cry and miss for the past? Why does our attachment to people and things affect some of us profoundly? The play People, what have you done? written by Alek Silber and adapted by Kristof Kaczmarek, doesn’t provide answers, but it certainly makes you think about them.

The Field of Forgotten Dreams, written and directed by Ricardo Magno, premiered at La Mama Courthouse in Carlton as part of La Mama’s Festival of Mother Tongue. This new children’s play, featuring music and puppetry, draws inspiration from Philippine folklore and mythology. It stands as a testament to the diversity of storytelling within Australia’s multicultural landscape, offering a fresh perspective on themes of freedom, identity and the transformative power of dreams.

Set in the barren fields of Dakila, The Field of Forgotten Dreams follows Laia, a young girl who awakens each day to toil alongside her friends in hopes of reviving the desolate land. 

Seated in La Mama’s HQ, I sense a certain eagerness creep over me. Here I am, ready to watch Bandini — the only Marathi play that’s part of the lineup at La Mama’s ‘Festival of Mother Tongues’. I’ve never been here before, but this eagerness feels familiar. It took me a while to realise where it was coming from. I’ve only felt this in Pune before — seated at Balgandharva Rangmandir, ready to revel in the inexplicable delight only Marathi theatre can bring. 

The Last Sicilian, a play that forms part of the Festival of the Mother Tongue is supported by La Mama and performed at CoAsIt Italian Museo in Carlton. Director Laurence Stragio and performers Rosa Voto, Rosanna Morales and Irine Vela pack a punch from the moment you walk through the door. You, the audience member, form part of the community of mourners carrying salt for a deceased woman. The woman represents the mother tongue of the island of Sicily, Italy.