A reimagining of PYT Fairfield’s first ever theatre work, Ratbags, created for PYT’s 40th anniversary in 2027.

In 1987, Ratbags was the beginning of what would become Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT Fairfield).

Written by Donna Abela, the original work was created in collaboration with young people from Western Sydney through writing and acting workshops, discussions and community conversations. Their ideas, experiences and concerns became the material for the play, which explored peace, friendship, graffiti, vandalism and alcohol.

The work was performed by local young people at the Francis Greenway Centre in Liverpool on 15 and 16 April 1987. At a time when Western Sydney was often dismissed as a ‘cultural desert’, Ratbags brought together young people, artists and community workers to create and share theatre rooted in their own experiences.

What began as a project for unemployed young people became the catalyst for a permanent youth theatre and the beginnings of PYT Fairfield.

In 2027, as PYT celebrates its 40th birthday, Ratbags returns.

This new work will reimagine and rework the original for a new generation, bringing together the legacy of PYT’s first project with the artists and communities shaping its future.

Nearly four decades on, this work offers an opportunity to return to where PYT began, ask what has changed, consider what remains, and continue the organisation’s long-standing commitment to young people creating theatre from their own stories, ideas and experiences.

Written by Donna Abela

Additional creative credits to be announced.

This work is proudly supported by Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation and Fairfield City Council.