A powerful new play about Australian nurse Vivian Bullwinkel, the sole survivor of the 1942 Banka Island massacre, will be the first live production to be staged in the Australian War Memorial's new theatre.
Tickets for the Canberra season of 21 Hearts: Vivian Bullwinkel and The Nurses of the Vyner Brooke go on sale today for a 12-night season, from 23 July to 3 August, 2025.
A true story, the production honours the 21 nurses murdered after surrendering to Japanese troops, and the unbreakable spirit of those who lived, grieved, and remembered them.
Executive producer and lead actress, Rebecca Davis, who plays Bullwinkel, said the production is both a tribute and a reclamation.
"Vivian Bullwinkel was an icon of quiet strength," Davis said. "To walk in her shoes every performance, to speak her truth in this space-it's something I carry with reverence. And it feels especially important now, as we reflect on the cost of war, and the resilience of women who bore its weight."
A veteran of Australian stage, Davis said the opportunity to perform this story at the Memorial was deeply moving.
"The Australian War Memorial stage is where Vivian's story belongs," she said. "We remember the women for what happened, yes, but we also remember them for who they were-brilliant, brave, cheeky, kind. This play gives them back their voices."
21 Hearts traces the harrowing events that led to Bullwinkel's imprisonment, survival, and lifelong campaign to honour her fellow nurses. Despite the devastating events at its heart, the production hums with warmth, wit, and a uniquely Australian sense of spirit.
Written by Jenny Davis and directed by Stuart Halusz, the West Australian production will find its most fitting home at the newly unveiled Memorial theatre, as it honours one of the most courageous and tragic chapters in Australia's wartime history.
"This story doesn't ask for pity-it demands presence," Davis said. "Audiences aren't just learning history-they're feeling it. It's emotional, yes, but ultimately life-affirming. People leave reminded of courage, of sisterhood, and of how love and memory can outlast even war."
Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said the choice of THEATRE 180's 21 Hearts as the first live production in the new theatre was deliberate.
"Vivian Bullwinkel's story speaks directly to the brutality of war. But it also allows us to see the nurses of Banka Island for who they were; young, funny, devoted and professional. 21 Hearts asks us to reflect both on what we lost with their murder, and what we have gained by their example, their love for one another and for the nursing profession," Mr Anderson said.
"This play reminds us that behind every name, there is a voice, a story, and a legacy," he said.
"These performances are made possible with the help of Presenting Partner - Department of Veterans' Affairs - and are the centerpiece of public programs scheduled at the Australian War Memorial to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War."
Tickets on sale from Wednesday 9 April 2025 at www.awm.gov.au/21-hearts.
