Coldhands opens with a take on the Creation Story that is set in an imagined future and is really a recount of destruction. A Mother (Bonet Leate) tells the audience how demons have stolen all the world’s gold – the material that once gave balance to life on earth.

The play ­– written by 2020 Flinders University Young Playwright’s Award winner Dora Abraham and having its world premiere at Rumpus ­– begins during an annual hunt near a post-mining town, where this Mother character is teaching a sick Girl (Danielle Lim) to read. They soon encounter a Hunter (Sam Lau), who has a strong connection to the land.

The three characters find themselves embarking on a joint journey of survival. Meanwhile, they’re hiding a secret: the Girl can turn things into gold.

Coldhands’ characters are built upon tropes of well-known narrative figures: a Mother, a Girl and a Hunter. Under the direction of Zola Allen, captivating performances and sound chemistry between the three give life and depth to these tropes. It is the relationships portrayed on stage that grant a sense of humanity to the play, enabling audiences to find a way into this mythical post-apocalyptic world.

Leate has audiences captivated from her opening line, and the protective, loving instincts of a mother figure emerge instantly as she interacts with the Girl. Lau, who speaks at times in Cantonese, portrays the hardened Hunter with a hidden sensitivity that moves audiences and gives complexity to his character. Reflecting childlike innocence and hope, Lim gives a wonderful performance in the role of Girl, later known as Coldhands. She even draws laughs from the audience, amid a generally grim narrative.

Bonet Leate, Danielle Lim and Sam Lau in Coldhands. Photo: Jamois

Ellanna Murphy’s set is a striking visualisation of a mythical climate-change story. Audiences sit along the walls of the performance space, as the set extends throughout the room. Red sheets outline the boundaries between the audience and performers, and give a sense that the characters exist in a world that’s burning.

Upstage, there’s a stunning collection of bare, white trees, fitting to the post-apocalyptic themes of the play. They circle a small raised stage, which later serves as a sacrificial podium.

The lighting, designed by Kobe Donaldson, works seamlessly with the set and is imaginative, particularly in showing light and gold in a dark and desolate world. Antoine Jelk’s sound design brings the threat of the demons to life, while the music, composed by Alex Mader, creates a powerful atmosphere of suspense and urgency that moves with the narrative.

A striking set and clever lighting help evoke the mythical setting. Photo: Jamois

Abraham’s writing is poetic, but at times specific messages and symbolism can be vague. It appears to be a broad telling of the impacts of climate change and the loss of connection with land, but audiences may find themselves in search of a more refined narrative progression.

While giving an insight into the potential for a bleak future, Coldhands also gives hope in the form of relationships, connection and the ambition of future generations.

Coldhands is at Rumpus until December 4.