Adapted by Vanessa Bates from Gabrielle Wang's award-winning novel, A Ghost in My Suitcase is an action-packed adventure story that crosses cultural and spiritual worlds.
Twelve-year-old Celeste - 'half French, half Chinese and all Australian' - travels to China to scatter her mother's ashes. There she meets her grandmother, Por Por, a quirky and wise woman with an unusual skill. Por Por is a ghost-hunter and her services are much in demand.
When Celeste learns she may have inherited her grandmother's talent, she must decide whether to acknowledge her gifts and use them to save her family and friends, and if she has the strength needed for the job.
Filled with fantastical characters from this world and the next, A Ghost in My Suitcase is a beautifully told tale of mystery, grief, difference and acceptance.
WINNER: 2019 AWGIE Award for Theatre for Young Audiences.
'This short play about twelve-year-old Celeste and her Asian family will delight many students in Years 6 and 7. There are not many plays for students in the middle years and even fewer that reflect Australian connections with Asian cultures.' (English in Australia, Volume 55, November 2, 2020)
'A Ghost in My Suitcase is superb family theatre - a stylish, big-hearted and vibrant adaptation of a much-loved children's book.'—The Age
'This is a sophisticated and poetic rendition adapted by Vanessa Bates, ostensibly for children, but calibrated also for an adult sensibility.'—ArtsHub
VANESSA BATES is an award winning playwright, screenwriter and researcher. Her plays include The Magic Hour 2024, The One, Small Hard Things, A Ghost In My Suitcase, Trailer, Every Second, PORN.CAKE, Checklist For An Armed Robber and Darling Oscar. She has received a NSW Premier’s Prize, two AWGIE Awards, the Stoddart Playwriting Award and been shortlisted for the Victorian Premiers Award, STC Patrick White Award, Griffin Award, the Newton John Award, the 503 Playwriting Award, Brennan Playwriting Award and further AWGIE Awards. Vanessa received her doctorate in scriptwriting, examining Mixed Cultural Identity and effects on a playwrighting practice pivoted to screenwriting. She is one-seventh of playwrighting alliance 7ON. Several of their works have been published including Sharp Darts, No Nudity, Weapons or Naked Flames and as part of Short Circuits.
GABRIELLE WANG is an award-winning children’s author and illustrator born in Melbourne of Chinese heritage. Her books are a blend of eastern and western culture with a touch of fantasy. Gabrielle has written and illustrated more than twenty novels for young readers including A Ghost in My Suitcase which was adapted to the stage by Vanessa Bates and played in festivals across Australia. The play won the 2019 Awgie Award for Theatre for Young Audiences. She has won and been shortlisted for many awards including the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Aurealis Award and the Queensland and NSW Premiers Literary Awards. Gabrielle was the Australian Children’s Laureate in 2022 and 2023.
| Cast Info | 9F, 3M, (doubling available) |
| Genres | Drama, Adaptations, Mystery, Surreal/magic realism, Physical Theatre, YA/Children's Theatre |
| Themes | Multicultural themes, Large Cast, Full length play, Significant female roles |
| Audiences | Young Adult, Secondary: Years 10-12, Secondary: Years 7-9 |
| Extent | 56 |
| Edition | First |
| Size | 137 x 210 mm |
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