A play about the story of Daylesford’s three lost boys will be screened on the anniversary of their discovery.
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Daylesford Cinema will host a full-length film screening of the play Hollow on Thursday, September 14.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of three boys who wandered from their home in Daylesford on June 30 1867 and sadly never returned.
The boys, William Graham, his brother Thomas and a friend Alfred Burman wandered away from their homes at Connells Gully near Table Hill and were never seen alive again.
For days afterwards more than 100 people from the town scoured the bush but to no avail, with the search eventually being called off.
Some weeks later a secondary search would find the remains of the two youngest boys huddled in the cavity of a large tree, with the older boy’s body protecting them.
An outpouring of grief followed the discovery of the boys’ bodies on September 14, 1867.
Hollow premiered at the Daylesford Town Hall from June 30 to July 2 featuring a central Victorian cast.
The play was well received to mark the beginning of several 150th anniversary activities for the three lost children.
The film screening of Hollow will be followed by a question and answer session with director Megan Riedl and members of the cast, including the three Daylesford children who played the lost boys.
Director Megan Riedl said the play focused on the mother’s experience of grief and the extended public search for the boys.
“Exploring the themes of power and grief, it is ultimately a story about hollow promises,” she said.
“It is a re-imagining of true events with a shift in focus to those usually left behind from Australian history – women, children and Indigenous people.”
Daylesford Cinema will donate proceeds from the screening to Tripwire Theatre Inc, directors of the play.
Tickets, which include a program from the live show, can be booked via the Daylesford Cinema Box Office.
UPDATE
The film screening has been cancelled due to technical difficulties.