Which Way Home - Yirra Yaarkin

Reviewed by Kate O'Sullivan

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Which Way Home is a quietly affecting piece, warm, funny, and grounded in a very real sense of lived experience. It’s the kind of show that balances humour and heart with an easy naturalism, never pushing too hard, but still landing with emotional clarity.

Written by Katie Beckett, and drawn from her own childhood, losing her mother young and being raised by her father, the work carries a strong sense of authenticity. That personal foundation is evident throughout, particularly in the way the dialogue moves: conversational, sharp, and often disarmingly honest.

The story follows Dad and Tash as they travel from the city back to their ancestral lands. Structurally, it unfolds through a series of vignette-style moments, with the road trip acting as a frame for a collection of memories and conversations. These yarning scenes are where the play finds its rhythm, gradually building a picture of family, loss, and connection to Country.

Shaquita Nannup and her real-life father, Derek Nannup, bring a naturalism to the central relationship. Their connection feels immediate and unforced, which adds a layer of emotional credibility to the work. Derek, in particular, delivers a performance full of character, playful, a little mischievous, and underpinned by strong comic timing, while still allowing space for quieter, more reflective moments to land.

Charlotte Meagher’s set establishes a clear visual language from the outset, with a scattering of camping gear, cushions, eskies, jerry cans, a mattress, and a weathered bicycle, suggesting both movement and impermanence. While evocative, some elements feel underutilised, and a stronger integration of the road trip motif may have further supported the storytelling. There are a few minor technical mismatches, particularly in moments where lighting cues slightly outpace the actors’ movements to return to positions on the stage after flashbacks. These interruptions are brief and feel like a production still settling into its run.

At 50 minutes, the play’s concision is both a strength and a limitation. While it keeps the storytelling focused, it also means that certain aspects, particularly Tash’s life in the city and her relationship with her boyfriend, are only lightly sketched. This makes her internal shift toward Country feel less fully realised. Similarly, some narrative threads, including the circumstances surrounding her mother’s absence, remain unresolved, which softens the potential emotional impact.

Even so, Which Way Home remains an engaging and sincere work. It’s a story shaped by care - care in its writing, its performances, and its perspective - and it leaves a lasting impression through its honesty, warmth, and sense of connection.

Image Credit: Dana Weeks

Reviewer Note: Tickets for this review were provided by the theatre company.