Mary – A Story of Courage:

The Life of Saint Mary MacKillop

How do humble beginnings lead to sainthood?

Mary – A Story of Courage is an interactive, thought-provoking production that brings to life the incredible journey of Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint. Through this engaging performance, students witness how Mary’s courage, faith, and resilience shaped her life, despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks. This show appeals to audiences of all ages, from primary students to secondary schoolers and adults.

Mary’s unwavering commitment to “never see a need without doing something about it” comes alive in this hour-long production that highlights her struggles, triumphs, and lasting legacy as a compassionate leader and role model. Mary’s story teaches students valuable lessons in determination, empathy, and service to others.

Following on from the success of A Bright Light in the Darkness, this performance has been specially crafted by Blue Whale Theatre in response to school requests for a production dedicated to Saint Mary MacKillop. After first touring in 2017, the production has received excellent feedback from The Sisters of St Joseph at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney and schools across NSW and VIC. We are now preparing for tours across NSW, VIC and QLD.

Show Versions Available:

Version 2 – For Stage 1 Students (K- 2 Primary Students)

This adapted version of Mary’s story is designed for younger children, with simplified language and a shorter runtime of 45 minutes. Students still get the opportunity to ask questions after each section, encouraging them to engage with the story and relate it to their own experiences.

Duration: 45 minutes (including short Q&A session).

Audience: Best suited for Stage 1 (younger primary students).

Format: Interactive performance with question time for younger learners.

Preschool storytelling theatre incursion

Version 1 – For Stage 2 and Stage 3 Students (Primary and Secondary)

This full-length production, designed for older students, runs for 1 hour and 15 minutes and is divided into three sections. After each section, students participate in a unique "hot seating" session where they can ask the actor portraying Mary MacKillop questions about her life, challenges, and choices.

Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes (including 15-minute Q&A session). Can be shortened to 1 hour if needed.

Audience: Suitable for both primary and secondary students.

Format: Interactive performance with facilitated Q&A after each section.

Mary MacKillop theatre show

Booking Information and Pricing

Costs for Primary Schools:

  • $10.50 per student (for the first 100 students)

  • $8.50 per student (for the second 100 students)

  • $7 per student (for the third 100 students)

  • $5 per student (for any additional students beyond 300)

All bookings include travel expenses.

For Secondary Schools:

$13.50 a student. Please contact us for a tailored quote.

Available Locations

NSW : Sydney, Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle, Blue Mountains, Central West,Bathurst, Orange, Forbes, Wollongong, Goulburn, Yass, Wagga, Albury, Griffith,

VIC: Shepperton, Seymour, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Bendigo, Kyneton, Ballarat, Geelong, Melton, Swan Hill, Mildura,

What Schools Are Saying

  • “Thank you SO much for the amazing shows last week! The students responded positively to the  story of Saint Mary Mackillop and were attentive to the information they received. The question  opportunities were fantastic for the students to understand the perspective of Mary from such a  young age, they were amazed by her responsibilities at the age of 9! The three actors played each  role perfectly and engaged the students in both sessions. Having the Blue Whale Theatre come to  St Francis Xavier made St Mary of the Cross Mackillop's Feast Day extremely special and  memorable. Thank you so much! We cannot wait to have you back again soon!”

    — Isabella Barbara,  St Francis Xavier Ashbury 08/08/2024

  • Our whole school was immersed in the life of Mary MacKillop today, both age specific shows were  amazing and had all the students engaged. They even got to ask questions to Mary MacKillop.  What a wonderful experience! Thank you so much for providing us with such an amazing  opportunity. It was such great timing too as we just had a whole school mass for Mary Mackillop  last week and our Principal has been visiting classes to present about her time in Penola at the  beginning of the year. I have had great feedback from teachers as well. Thank you again! 

    — Stephanie Ronfeldt, St Joseph’s Primary Leeton, NSW 21/08/2024 

  • Dear Therase, I just wanted to say that the play today was absolutely brilliant! It couldn't have  rounded out our Mary MacKillop Feast Day celebrations more perfectly. The cast were  absolutely fantastic - as is the script! Olivia, Marcel and Taylor were very friendly and professional.  They had the students throughout our school mesmerised. Safe to say we're all Mary MacKillop  experts now! We will have to look into having another of your plays at our school in the not-too distant future.‘’

    — Graeme Trewin, St Bernards Primary School Botany

  • “The production was excellent! I attended the 3-6 show with my year 4 class and they were  highly engaged and they did ask some insightful questions. The actors were so passionate  and really told St Mary's story with such detail and gusto, it was very moving. It was an  incredible way to see the story of our special Saint come to life for our students and staff. It was  wonderful for our school.” 

    — Sara Torresan, St John Vianney Catholic Primary, Greenacre, Sydney. 

  • "The Mary MacKillop performance last week was terrific! I had great feedback from teachers and parents. The actors were very professional and presented an excellent performance. The script was well-written, and the students enjoyed the opportunity to ask Mary questions at the end of each act. I was impressed with the types of questions the students asked, which is evidence of how engaged they were in the performance."

    — Meaghan Kwiatkowski, REC Villa Maria Catholic Primary, Hunters Hill

  • "Mary MacKillop’s story was heart-touching and really made me think about what I could do to help others. I learned that she was excommunicated from the church, but she kept going, believing in God and thinking ‘I can do this’. After watching this performance, I know to 'never see a need without doing something about it'."

    — Rachel, Year 6, Our Lady Queen of Peace Primary, Sydney

  • "An incredible production! A must see for schools (and big kids alike!) You personified your characters so well and truely captured the life of one courageous woman. Congratulations to all!”

    — Sister Anne Marie Gallagher, Former Education Officer, Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, 2018


  • “As a Sister of St Joseph, I was moved by Blue Whale Theatre's Mary – Story of Courage. This wonderful play about Mary MacKillop is sensitively and professionally acted by very expert and committed actors. It was impressive to see that all the details of the play were historically correct. The characters were brought alive to us in a way that was both believable and enjoyable. The aim of the play is to introduce children to the life of Mary MacKillop. It was impressive to see how the actors relate with children in a friendly and educative manner. Although the play is designed for children, I found it to be equally touching and enjoyable for adults."

    — Sr Maryellen Thomas, Congregational Leadership Team, Sisters of St Joseph, Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, 2018

Technical Details:

Setting Up in Your School

We bring the full theatre experience to your school! Blue Whale Theatre provides everything necessary to transform your hall or performance space into a theatrical venue, with minimal effort required from you.

Here’s what we bring:

  • Professional theatre backdrop

  • Period costumes and authentic props

  • Sound system and speakers for a rich audio experience

  • A cast of three professional actors, all trained in Theatre in Education (TIE), who also facilitate the interactive workshop portions of the show.

Setup Requirements:

  • All we need is an indoor space (large or small) with a power socket and an audience. No stage required!

  • Our actors will arrive 60 minutes before the performance to set up.

  • WWC Checks and Insurance: All Blue Whale Theatre actors are professionally trained, fully insured, and carry NSW Working with Children Checks. We will email these details, along with photographs of the actors, to the school prior to the performance for identification..

Mary MacKillop story for students

Book Your Performance Now

With limited spots available for our upcoming tour across NSW, VIC and QLD, we encourage schools to book early to secure their preferred dates. Don’t miss this engaging and inspirational opportunity for your students to learn about Australia’s first saint through an immersive, interactive performance.

Get in Touch to Book:

Email: info@bluewhaletheatre.com
Phone: 0401 418 323