Benjamin Law’s first work for the stage makes its Queensland premiere at the Bille Brown Theatre. A dramatic comedy inspired by the playwright’s own family, Torch the Place unpacks complicated family dynamics, uses magic realism to explore trauma, and presents insights into the underlying factors of hoarding.

Mum is thrilled to have her children home to celebrate her 60th birthday. Teresa, the eldest daughter, has always been the responsible one: she manages their mother’s money and tries to prevent the house from falling down around her.

Toby is a university student full of strong socio-economic convictions, and Natalie is a jet-setting social media star who arrives with a suitcase full of magazine features and free samples. These three siblings, along with Teresa’s happy-go-lucky husband Paul, converge on their childhood home for their mother’s birthday.

What Mum is not expecting is the skip bin they bring with them: their mother considers herself a collector, but her children say she is a hoarder. With her reluctant agreement, they begin to clear out decades of accumulated belongings.

This “birthday gift” brings memories surging to the surface – some happy, some silly, and some unspeakably...