#Main Info

The Cleanse

A bold new piece of contemporary Epic Theatre, inspired by the themes of The Crucible.

In a not-so-distant future, a revolutionary wellbeing program is sweeping through schools - promising unity, trust, and radical honesty. Each day, students gather for "cleansing” sessions: a safe space to confess mistakes, call out those who’ve wronged them, and pledge to do better. Every thought, every feeling is monitored.

All in the name of Care.

At first, it feels like real connection. But then the accusations begin. Stories twist. Friendships fracture. And when one student refuses to confess to something they didn’t do, the group ferociously turns on them.

What begins as a movement towards truth spirals into a performance of wellness - where honesty becomes a weapon, and the cost of speaking out is social exile.

Set in a chillingly familiar dystopia, The Cleanse is a gripping exploration of teenagers, truth, the ethics of surveillance and the human need for connection in a world ruled by fear and suspicion.

GRADES 8 - 12 

Curriculum Links
Themes: Youth Issues, Consequences of Actions, Mental Health Awareness, Individuality, Truth and Perception, Peer Pressure, Surveillance and Privacy, Morality and Manipulation, Conscience vs Compliance
English: Australian texts, Language, Literature, English - Unit 1: Perspectives and Texts, Intertextuality
Drama: Performance techniques, Storytelling, Unit 1: Share – Youth Issues, Unit 3: Challenge, IA2 Stimulus, Exploring and responding, Developing practices and skills, Epic Theatre

Dramatic Forms & Styles
Epic Theatre, Theatre of Social Comment, Physical Theatre, Ensemble, Satire, Hybridity of Form.

General Capabilities
Critical and creative thinking, Ethical understanding, Personal and social capability.