#666 Westwords Takeover

Lagpas Tao by Neen Ramos

When a storm surge swallows a coastal town in the Philippines, a daughter in Sydney receives a shaky phone call from her mother calling from a patchy Wi-Fi. 

The floodwaters would recede, but they can’t take away a daughter’s worry from thousands of kilometres away.

“ I’ve been so worried about you. I guess what I really want is to be there, even if I don’t know how to say it out loud.”

Produced by Aswathi Matthews

Written and performed by Neen Ramos 

Mother voiced by: Liza Caliao

Special thanks to Amanda Caliao, who generously recommended her mom to voice this piece. 

Rapture by Christopher Sammut

After losing his job, a young man in Sydney ends up working at his uncle’s chicken farm, where the daily violence of slaughter and the weight of family expectations trigger a crushing anxiety attack. His only comfort comes from Lorenzo, a Sudanese coworker who offers faith, hope, and an unexpected kind of tenderness in a place built on brutality.

The smell he’s trying to escape isn’t on his clothes – it’s in his bones.

Produced by: Persephone Waxman 

Written and performed by Christopher Sammut 

Sound design by Lana Lusina 

My childhood is split into Inside Outside by Cathy Stirling

What are the small, ordinary moments when you feel safe enough to connect with your body, with others, with place?

Cathay’s childhood is split between two worlds: the fear-soaked “inside,” where her father’s rage fills the air, and the bright “outside,” where magpies call, bare feet hit the grass, and the rhythm of games, laughter, lizards, and sunshine offer a taste of freedom.

And with every step between inside and outside, she begins to realise that light can live in her too.

Production and sound design by Catarina Fraga Matos

Written and Performed by Cathy Stirling 

Mark Williamson voiced ‘Dad’

All The Best Credits

Host: Kwame Slusher

Executive Producer: Melanie Bakewell

Community Coordinator: Patrick McKenzie

Theme Music composed by Shining Bird

Cover Art: Ray Vo

Special shout-out to our volunteers:  Sue, Sharon, Lindsey, Andrew, Ash, and Emma.