“Ten Years to Home” by Sonal Moore tells the story of why her parents first came to Australia and what made them stay. Looked at through the eyes of three generations of women, the play reveals the challenges faced by an Indian family living a long way from home and in a predominantly white Australia. It also shows the friendship that was extended to them until ten years later, Australia had also become home. The play centres on Sonal’s parents’ story while the stories of Sonal and her two daughters show the crossover of the Indian and Australian cultures. Sonal’s father is the common thread throughout the play. The play spans 10 years and gives a snapshot of the change of both India and Australia in the 1960s, which ultimately paved the way for the greater Asian migration in the early 1970s.

“Ten Years to Home” is an outcome of the Drama~Sutra playwriting project in 2016-18. A project was undertaken for the first time in Australia to incubate writings that wouldn’t have been possible without the Nautanki Theatre Company’s commitment to showcasing alternate narratives from the fastest-growing migrant community. A visionary theatre company dedicated to the creative development of CaLD theatre, Nautanki Theatre Company has a rich journey starting in Parramatta in 2013. In the last decade, the company has played a critical role in the cultural landscape of Western Sydney providing a new audience experience by creating poignant, culturally and socially relatable artwork of the highest quality. Partnering with Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, Nautanki has created a platform and vanguard for the voice of South Asian creatives, stories that validate their migrant experiences and create an appetite for an emerging local audience from Western Sydney. In the creative pursuit, Nautanki creates employment for artists, creating bold stories on the Australian stage by carrying out Independent Theatre Movement in Australia involving the community.