Dusted Off: A Theatrical Tour de Force from Brett Hunt

By Stefan Sojka

Last night at Marrickville’s Flight Path Theatre, something extraordinary happened.

Brett Hunt took to the stage with Dusted Off, a one-man performance that was so layered, so personal, and so powerful, it transcended theatre. Part tribute, part history lesson, and all heart, Dusted Off recounts the story of Brett’s father, Frank Hunt, “the Franky who kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon,” immortalised in Redgum’s 1983 classic I Was Only 19 (or A Walk in the Light Green).

What unfolded was an indelible experience.

META: A Room Full of Mirrors

Brett’s theatrical mastery was astonishing. With subtle shifts in voice, movement and energy, he transformed between narrator, himself, his younger self, his father, his mother, and a cast of mates, medics, and military men. Each character crystal clear. Each moment charged.

Layer upon layer of sub-plot and sub-text wrapped the core story in emotional complexity and human truth. We weren’t just watching Brett perform, we were inside his story, and his father’s, in real time.

By the end, it felt like Inception on stage: we had jumped every level and emerged changed. A seed planted deep.

PHYSICAL: Theatre as Amplifier

The Flight Path Theatre, a perfect vessel. With its stark black box walls, semi-thrust stage and high-quality audio setup (arrays, subs, foldback, flown full-range speakers and guitar amp), the space pulsed with energy. Every line, chord and silence hit with precision.

It was visceral. Spine-tingling. Real.

METAPHYSICAL: Transformation in Real Time

Beyond sound and story, there was a shift. Something opened up in the room, a shared moment of presence. You could feel the collective heartbeat of the audience.

And then, as if the universe conspired, a plane thundered overhead, right on the final chord, ringing out from Brett’s Collings guitar. It was uncanny. It was magic. It was theatre at its absolute best.

VISCERAL: The Story That Stays With You

We left transformed. Each of us carrying a piece of the story: of war and recovery, family and trauma, love and healing.

This wasn’t just entertainment. It was catharsis.

After the pack-down, we headed to an undisclosed location for a well-earned knock-off beer with Brett, a small gesture after a monumental performance.

If you get the chance to see Dusted Off, take it. You’ll walk in as an audience member and walk out a little different.

PS: Brett plays a Collings guitar, available direct from performance sponsors, Gladesville Guitar Factory. More info here: Collings Guitars