The Removalists

Synopsis

A small inner-suburban police station in Melbourne, 1971. Two police officers – one seasoned, one green – are drawn into a domestic dispute that spirals tragically out of control.

Sergeant Simmonds, a corrupt and cynical veteran, inducts young Constable Ross into the realities of police work. Their day is disrupted when Kate and her sister Fiona arrive to report Fiona’s abusive husband Kenny. What begins as a routine call to help Fiona move out quickly descends into violence and chaos.

Williamson’s dialogue is steeped in dark humour as he exposes the toxic masculinity and abuse of power endemic in 1970s Australian society. Through the increasingly brutal confrontations between the officers and Kenny, the play examines themes of police corruption, domestic violence, and the thin line between order and anarchy. As the situation spirals out of control, The Removalists asks: In a system built on violence, can anyone’s hands stay clean?