act 1
Act 1 takes place in the former laundry and starts in 1881, when Sydney was crippled by Smallpox epidemic. The Quarantine Station was quickly over crowded and order broke down. Public outcry and pressure from the newspapers forced the governor to call for a Royal Commission.
Benjamin Hackett, the Superintendent of the time, ran the Station like a prison rather than a hospital. John, Sarah Wilson and their six children are wrongly quarantined. Due to experimental treatment, one of the children contracts Smallpox. In an act of defiance, John escapes to swim ashore and see his dying daughter - their family of eight become seven.
interval
Guests then move up to the cliff tops overlooking Sydney Harbour in preparation for Act 2.
act 2
This act starts in 1901 when the Bubonic Plague hit Sydney. Homes within The Rocks were demolished to reduce the spread of disease and local residents were quarantined. Here you meet Ned Cratchely - professional Rat Catcher.
Seated in the former hospital, we jump to 1918 when Spanish Influenza created the world's most widespread Pandemic, further spread by exhausted soldiers travelling home from service in World War I. Meet young patient Clarissa and volunteer Nurse Amy Kelly and follow their stories.
The 1901 and 1918 stories then collide with a story from the future, just possible enough to be quite confronting. There is an Avian flu outbreak in 2020 and it is bigger than anything we've seen yet - what do we do?
Act 2 is highlighted by a mix of humour, drama and amazing special effects.
Defiance is not suitable for children under ten years.
