Fans of good, solid Australian drama will be well catered for on Tuesday, March 6, when acclaimed writer Reg Cribb’s new play Thomas Murray and the Upside Down River will appear at the CPAC.

A uniquely Australian story that invokes the nation’s expansive beauty, Thomas Murray and the Upside Down River is described as a riveting take on love, the drying climate, and accountability for the actions of the past, while dealing with issues relevant to regional Australia today.

The Murray family has been farming the land along the Darling River for five generations.

For Tom Murray, it’s all he’s ever known.

When his childhood friends Lucy and Billy reappear, deep friendships are tested, and secrets, long buried, are finally awakened.

Tom must make the long journey down-stream to reconcile past wrongs and to fight for his wife.

This thrilling drama from Cribb (the multi-award-winning screenwriter of Last Cab to Darwin) is directed by Chris Bendall. and produced by Stone Soup and Critical Stages (known for Songs for the Fallen and Stones in his Pockets).

It has enjoyed rave reviews for both the writer and the outstanding cast, which includes Grant Cartwright (Barracuda), Francesca Savige, Nicholas Papademetriou and Bjorn Stewart.

“Big sky. Big river. Big betrayal. Big secrets exposed as the river recedes. Thomas Murray is a lot of play for your money… Chris Bendall’s direction is imaginative, fluent in its handling of the play’s temporal shifts and notably physical. Designer Dann Barber’s wooden ramp of a stage has all kinds of surprises built into it. Kingsley Reeve’s sound design twangs and shimmers” – Jason Blake, Sydney Morning Herald.

The play is suitable for audiences aged 15 years and over, as it contains occasional coarse language and adult themes.

The show will start at 8pm and tickets are on sale at the CPAC box office, by phone on 4993 4266 or online at cessnockperformingartscentre.com.au.