EDEN

Set against the rhythms of rural life and the slow fading of generational farming dreams, Eden arrives at this year’s Adelaide Fringe as a tender yet unflinching exploration of adolescence, identity and the forces that quietly shape who we become.

This world premiere season, written and directed by Kate Gaul, introduces audiences to Kit and Dan across a single summer — a season thick with heat, growth and possibility. Surrounded by vines, soil and family history, the pair hover on the edge between childhood and adulthood, where desire feels electric and every choice carries consequence. Their world is one where land is more than a backdrop; it holds memory, grief and hope, shaping their sense of belonging as much as blood ties and first love.

Performed by Karrine Kanaan and Lara Lightfoot, the production brings an intimate emotional honesty to the stage. Both actors navigate the fragile terrain of youth with nuance, allowing moments of tenderness, conflict and silence to resonate deeply with audiences.

Written in a theatrical language that drifts between realism and poetic confession, Eden invites private thoughts to surface alongside everyday interactions. Inner worlds unfold in parallel with spoken dialogue, revealing the complexity of growing up — the longing, the guilt, the hope and the dawning realisation that transformation often carries loss.

At its heart, the play examines inheritance — not just of land, but of expectation, unspoken trauma and dreams passed quietly from one generation to the next. As the farming life diminishes, Kit and Dan are forced to question what future they are meant to carry forward, and what they might dare to redefine for themselves.

Presented by Siren Theatre Co in the intimate surrounds of The Courtyard of Curiosities, the production places audiences close to every emotional shift, breath and moment of vulnerability. The closeness amplifies the play’s raw power, creating a deeply immersive theatrical experience.

A new Australian work that speaks to universal experiences of first love, family pressure and the quiet heartbreak of change, Eden is a moving portrait of youth at the crossroads — where the past lingers, the future beckons, and everything feels possible and terrifying all at once.