The year is 1787. The First Fleet of the British Empire sets sail for Australia with a group of convicts aboard, to establish a penal colony. Along the way, the Governor instructs one of his lieutenants to rehearse a play with the convicts, with the hope of using the power of theatre to rehabilitate them. But who has ever heard of an officer putting up a play with his convicts? Certainly not the other officers, priest, judge, doctor or the convicts, who all have reservations about such a ridiculous proposition. Will they eventually be able to stage the play successfully?