Breaking the silence: Edithvale playwright Kieran Carroll is bringing his The Truth Is Longer Than A Lie to Chelsea Activity Hub for a free community performance. Picture: Yanni

A PLAY shedding light on the dark topic of child abuse by Edithvale playwright Kieran Carroll is heading to Chelsea for a free community performance.

The award-winning playwright was commissioned by Monash University to write The Truth Is Longer Than A Lie, a play drawing on the personal accounts of children subjected to abuse.

Based on a book by Monash University researchers Dr Neerosh Mudaly and Professor Chris Goddard, Carroll’s play focuses on the heart in the darkness when silence is broken about abuse.

CSIRO chief scientist and child abuse research advocate Dr Alan Finkel has praised Carroll’s adaptation of the book, with the play following two teenagers from different socio-economic backgrounds speaking out and continuing to live and recover.

“I was riveted by The Truth Is Longer Than A Lie. The acting, staging, choreography, script and directing were first class,” Dr Finkel said.

“This is a powerful story, brilliantly portrayed. And important.”

The play was performed at Frankston Arts Centre last year and an abridged 50-minute version, pared back from 90 minutes, will be performed at Chelsea Activity Hub, 3-5 Showers Avenue, Chelsea on Wednesday 15 March, 8pm.

See kierancarroll.com or call 0429 235 751 for enquiries about the show.

First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 1 March 2017