In the Heart of Our Past comprised three short historical based plays written by award-winning Melbourne playwright Kieran Carroll during a 2012 residency he did at The Cad Factory. Kieran spent his residency researching, talking to locals, going to the museum, to the library and even getting his hair cut in order to develop this script.

The first play recalls the excitement of local girl Shirley Bliss winning Miss Australia in 1954 before traveling to California later that year for the Miss Universe contest.

The second play re-imagines the day in 1909 when the hard working and fondly remembered Dr Harold Lethbridge arrives with his wife in Narrandera from Sydney to begin thirty-five years of medical treatment for the town.
 
Finally, in a bush yarn tradition, a 115 year old man who goes by the name of Drought’n’Rain returns to Narrandera and speaks of how everybody has blamed him for Narrandera’s major weather disasters over the last one hundred years.

In the Heart of Our Past was presented as part of the John O'Brien Festival 2014 over 15 & 16 March 2014 and in partnership with Western Riverina Arts and Spirit FM.

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Conceived by Vic McEwan
Written by Kieran Carroll
Directed by Kieran Carroll & Vic McEwan
Performed by Paul Mercuri & Lee McClenaghan
Music by Fiona Caldarevic
The Narrandera Drive-in Theatre Choir are:
Jessica Buchanan, Fiona Caldarevic, Alan Chesworth, Georgia Gleeson, Joan Graham, Mary Sutcliffe, Carol Vincent, April Walsh, Rachel Warren, Alison Warren, Gai Warren-Park, John Wiltjer.