First performed by the Griffin Theatre Company in 1986, it tells the story of three internally conflicted families holidaying on the coast for Christmas, 1968.

With the play's conscious nods to Shakespeare (it opens with the school's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and ends with King Lear).

Following the death of their son in the Vietnamese War, Coral suffers from severe bouts of depression and dementia which is revealed to be causing a great strain on her marriage to Roy.

The treatment has caused their family a great deal of pain and brought a new appreciation of life, although they are prepared to accept that this is their last holiday together.

In the closing scene, at the start of the next school year, an excited Miss Latrobe introduces the students to Shakespeare's King Lear, before looking around the class to find someone to read the first lines*.

The cast included Christian Hodge, Angela Toohey, Benjamin Franklin, Geoff Morrell, Julie Godfrey, David Lynch, Andrea Moor, and Vanessa Downing.

Then Artistic Director of the Queensland Theatre Company, Michael Gow also directed the production which later embarked on a sold out national tour.

The cast included Leon Cain, Sue Dwyer, Barbara Lowing, Joss McWilliam, Daniel Murphy, Francesca Savige, Richard Sydenham and Georgina Symes.

This production was recorded for film by Australian National Theatre Live, and was broadcast on digital streaming platforms during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

The cast included Liam Nunan, Naomi Rukavina, Glenn Hazeldine, Wadih Dona, Julia Davis, Marco Chiappi, Heather Mitchell, and Natasha Herbert.

Cameron Woodhead of The Age awarded the play four and a half stars, stated the production was "magnificent on every level", praising acting, design and direction,[2] with sentiments being echoed by Daily Review's Ben Neutze, who commended the production as "inventive, tightly-wound, warm, passionate, and compassionate rendering.