The story of Country and conflicting histories wades into highly contentious discourse about the ramifications of intergenerational trauma and displacement of Tasmania’s First Nations people, and the modern issues they now face.

Director and Queensland Theatre Associate Artist Isaac Drandic said At What Cost? doesn’t shy away from difficult debates about race identity, as they are difficult conversations that people need to engage with.

“The work really talks about why it is people want to identify as Aboriginal when they’re not,” Drandic said.

“It certainly brings up issues that exist in Tasmania, but also issues that exist around Australia and the globe.

“There’s this weird phenomena and I think researchers and academics are talking about it as well, where people are claiming to be Aboriginal when they’re not, people are identifying as black or other or coloured and they’re not.

“And so that can be a little bit confronting because there’s a lot of complexities around that as well.

“There’s a whole history in this country where we’ve had an entire generation of people stolen from their families and the subsequent disconnect that’s happened as a result of that. And we’re finding these people are finding their way back to communities and they’re finding their way back to their families.

“And these are legitimately Aboriginal people who are on that journey. And then there are people who are just saying that they’re Aboriginal.”

At What Cost? Is the third show that Drandic and playwright Nathan Maynard have worked on together, with the pair developing a strong bond that is felt throughout their stories.

Queensland Theatre Artistic Director Lee Lewis describes the collaboration between Drandic and Maynard as “magical”, and “one of the most significant creative partnerships in the country today”.

“We feel that this show must be seen up here in Queensland. There is a truly national conversation inside this story that we must be a part of,” Lewis said.

The play confronts head on myths that still abound about the fate of Tasmania’s First Nations people.

“Part of Nathan’s work is about sort of going, Hey, we’re here. Hey, we exist. Hey, we’re still strong. And we still have our culture,” Drandic said.

“We still have songs and dances and we know our history. And the Tasmanian Aboriginal people are really strong. They’re really staunch people and they’re holding on to, they’re sort of reclaiming and bringing back the culture that was in many ways beaten out of them. What Nathan’s doing by putting their stories on stage, particularly on the mainland, is a huge thing.”

He said its uncanny how recent news events, such as Stan Grant’s resignation as host of the ABC show Q and A, have formed an important backdrop to the production and given the show an urgent relevance.

“Playwrights like Nathan and other playwrights, they write content that feels like it’s really urgent right now. And similar ideas or similar themes or issues that we’re seeing in Australia, they seem to coincide with the work that they’re seeing on stages. So it’s almost like these playwrights are like Nostradamuses or something,” he said.

“I think it’s really important as artists that we do have our finger on the pulse what’s happening politically, economically, and socially around the world and in our own backyards as well. I think we’re continually talking about exploring what those stories are and how we can address them in our given art form – making theatre.”

Drandic’s heritage from the Noongar people of south-west WA also informs the work.

“I had a lot of exposure to stories and stories in the theatre format, so I’ve really sort of been inspired by my elders and the people that came before me,” he said.

“That foundation is how it is I’m able to apply those cultural Noongar values to the process that I’m responsible for delivering to make a show – that’s been a big influence on me.”

At What Cost? retains the cast from its Belvoir St season, with Boyd portrayed by Luke Carrol, and Sandy Greenwood returning as Nala, and will continue on for a national tour after its Brisbane season.

The show officially opens on Saturday night and continues until June 10 at Queensland Theatre’s Bille Brown Theatre.