AustLit

Edge is the dramatised true story of the wreck of the Dutch ship Batavia on the Abrohlos atolls off the coast of Western Australia in 1628. In this dramatic and entertaining play, hailed by one reviewer as his "play of the year", events unfold against a background of religious millenarianism, or "end of the world" fervor. Three hundred men, women and children were marooned. In the absence of their commander, thirty men belonging to a Christian cult men took control and massacred a hundred and twenty five others. The remaining women were taken as concubines. These events are seen through the eyes of a young Dutch woman who was forced to "wed" the charismatic leader of the mutineers. Her experiences lead her to lose all belief in God and any human purpose other than survival. The play is of great relevance to audiences at the end of the twentieth century. It is also presented with considerable dark humour and is a testament to the stubborn persistence of the irrepressible human spirit.

Edge was originally performed on 1 November 1994 with a cast of three actors on the wreck of the Batavia, now in the Fremantle Maritime Museum.

[Source: David Spicer Productuons]