January, 1788. A strange sight greets those gathered on the shore of Gadigal land.

Ships of a type and size never seen before. Where are they from? Who and what do they carry? Should they be welcomed to country – or should war be declared?

Famed for her plays Stolen and Rainbow’s End, playwright Jane Harrison turns her attention that pivotal moment when Captain Cook’s First Fleet dropped anchor. In The Visitors, seven senior law men of the Dharug nation meet to decide how to respond.

Their decision must be unanimous and will have far-reaching implications for all.

Presented by Moogahlin Performing Arts, Carriageworks and Sydney Festival, and directed by Frederick Copperwaite, this World Premiere production of The Visitors is a powerful, imaginative response to the beginnings of modern Australia as the nation notes the 250th anniversary of Cook’s Pacific Voyage – and the 231st anniversary of invasion.