The WOMPA (West of Melbourne Performing Arts) 10-minute play festival

This is an afternoon of theatre where ten short plays of ten minutes each are performed. Here is a synopsis of the story that I entered for the 2023 show.

Crossing West Gate Bridge

Praew has just arrived at Melbourne airport, all the way from Thailand. She's scared. She's not used to being on her own. To make things worse, the taxi is late.

When the driver, Andrew, finally arrives, she reprimands him and bursts out at how unsafe, how insecure she feels. He reassures her. "Melbourne is a safe place. A good place. Relax, you'll enjoy it."

An awkward silence follows and Andrew stomps around nervously. He doesn’t know how to say this, but there is a problem with the car. Praew is upset all over again. "A taxi driver without a taxi?" "Relax," Andrew tells her. He has a plan — they can fly to her destination: the floodplains of Werribee, beyond West Gate Bridge. He brings out a pair of wings. Praew shakes her head in disbelief. This is outrageous! She can't be seen with Andrew's tattered wings. She is much too proud. She brought her own wings with her. Pretty and white and graceful.

They turn into birds. Or maybe that is what they were all along? They rise up, fly high above the city, look at the lights. And then Praew asks that they take a break first.

They sit down near the bridge. "Will I ever survive here? Will I blend in with the other birds? Will I get my own tree? Build a nest of my own? Lay eggs?" Andrew points to the stars. Like her, he also immigrated to Melbourne - in his case, with his father and a bunch of other birds when he was little. He also knows about loss. Of being lost. Of fear.

"Look at the stars," he says. "Look at the Southern Cross. The sky you already know. It's just the land you need to get to know."

"You're right," Praew agrees. "Half of these I already know."

"Shall we go?" asks Andrew. "Are you ready to cross West Gate Bridge?"

Praew looks at him uncertainly. Very unsure. Full of hesitation, full of anxiety.

For a moment it looks like they are going to take off and fly – but then everything goes black. The hall is shrouded in darkness.