Kiah Davey is the Manager of the Round Earth Company, based in Strahan on Tasmania's rugged West Coast.
Following the passing of her father, playwright Richard Davey, she has taken on the mantle of storyteller, keeping his renowned play [The Ship That Never Was](http://www.roundearth.com.au/ship.htm) running.
We also had the privilege of having Kiah and her family join us paddling recently!
1. What is your play The Ship that Never Was?
It's Australia’s longest running play, operating in Strahan for nearly 25 years, with over 6000 performances. It is the rollicking story of convicts on nearby Sarah Island building the last ship to be constructed on the island and their secret plans for escape.
2. Do you get bored doing The Ship That Never Was so often?
Never! Not only is a it fantastic story, there is a lot of audience interaction, as we rely on the audience to help us tell the story. You never know what the audience will do when they come on stage, so that keeps the show interesting for the performers and keeps us on our toes!
3. Can you remember the first story your father told you?
I don’t remember the first story my Father told me, but I have a vivid memory of one of the plays he wrote and directed when I was a small child. The play was called ‘The Rainbow Egg’, about Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, and the opening scene started with a real snake slithering up through a trapdoor in the stage, followed by a man, who caught the snake and wound it round his neck!
4. Do you do any other productions (and if so, where can we see them)?
As The Ship That Never Was runs every day for 9 months of the year, it is rare for me to produce other shows. However, in conjunction with the play, my actors from The Round Earth Company conduct guided tours of the old Macquarie Harbour Penal Settlement on Sarah Island. These tours are included as part of the cruise to the Gordon River with World Heritage Cruises and Gordon River Cruises.
5. What was the best part of your recent kayak experience?
For the 4 kids I took on the Hobart City waterfront experience, the best part of the trip was eating fish & chips in the middle of Constitution Dock.
For me, it was watching the kids, who had never kayaked before, get the hang of the basics of handling a kayak and look quite confident at the end of the trip. Oh, and kayaking around the Hobart Waterfront on a GLORIOUS winter morning! Wow!
