Monkami is a not-for-profit organisation that provides services for people with intellectual disabilities. The organisation has a strong emphasis on community involvement and in proving an holistic approach to care, through encouraging their clients to participate in educational, employment and creative opportunities.

An example of this creativity is the Monkami Drama Group, which is now in its third year of performances. This year the Drama Group presented Picnic At Hanging Rock, a performance loosely based around the book and film, but with creative input from the actors, who are clients of Monkami.

As a result, the audience in the Karralyka Theatre was entertained by a creative script and cast. The actors choose the character they wish to play and work that character into the overall script of the performance.

The resulting performance was highly entertaining, with characters that included the Riddler, Doctor Who, Goldilocks, Dorothy and Dexter and concluded with the audience participating in the Time Warp.

At the end of the performance the actors and director participated in an open forum proving an opportunity for the audience to ask questions about the show. This helped provide an insight into the creative processes involved in delivering the performance.

The Monkami Drama Group demonstrates the capabilities of people with disabilities and planning is already underway for next year’s performances.