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Barrumbi Kids in Production

Barrumbi Kids has commenced production in and around the Beswick community on Wugularr country, Northern Territory, with producers Monica O’Brien of Ambience Entertainment, Danielle MacLean of Tamarind Tree Productions and Julia Morris at the helm.

Commissioned by NITV and based on Leonie Norrington’s popular coming-of-age novels of the same name, Barrumbi Kids has been adapted for contemporary audiences by a talented team, including emerging First Nations writers, and in close consultation with Elders and members of the Beswick community. Led by Danielle MacLean and Fin Edquist, scripting has taken place across the country – amongst various state lockdowns – with writers David Woodhead, Julia Moriarty, Shontell Leah Ketchell, Warren Coleman and Stephen Abbott.

Set in the fictional town of Mandjakkorl, the series follows best friends Tomias and Dahlia as they navigate the joys and challenges of growing up. Life in a remote Top End community is definitely not for the faint-hearted, with crocs, snakes, ancestral spirits, the smallest school in the world, bushfires and little sisters - in short, a whole Outback worth of adventure lurking behind every anthill.

The series has been set up by director Grant Brown, who has been on location working wth the young cast throughout pre production, and he will be followed by directors Justin Schneider, Deb Brown and Ismail Khan across the 10 episode series.

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The search for lead actors took place within the Beswick community, neighbouring towns Barunga and Katherine as well as across the Northern Territory. After auditions and workshops, the producers were delighted to cast young local actors Nick Durrurrnga as Tomias and Caitlin Hordern as Dahlia.

Having performed at the annual Barunga Festival, Barrumbi Kids will be Nick’s first television role. After reading the Barrumbi Kids books at school, Nick is proud to represent Indigenous kids and their stories.

Hailing from Katherine in the Northern Territory, this will also be Caitlin’s television debut. She’s thrilled to be cast in a series about kids growing up in regional towns.

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Barrumbi Kids is the second major children’s television drama to be produced in the Northern Territory this year, following Brindle Films’ MaveriX, which was filmed in Alice Springs earlier this year. Both series represent a major commitment to children’s content from the Northern Territory Government through Screen Territory.

Barrumbi Kids is an Ambience Entertainment and Tamarind Tree Production. Commissioned by NITV with major investment from Screen Australia and Australian Children’s Television Foundation. Financed with the assistance of Screen Territory and Screen Queensland.