Physical theatre troupe Legs on the Wall’s Man with the Iron Neck, which premiered at last year’s Brisbane Festival, opened in Sydney with one minute’s silence for the five Aboriginal girls – all between the ages of 12 and 15 – who died by suicide in the first two weeks of January.

Youth suicide has been described as an epidemic in Australia, and it remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44. But as pervasive as it is, it affects some communities more than others. The suicide rate amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is more than double the national rate and suicide is the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged between 5 and 17.

This is the issue that Legs on the Wall grapples with in Man with the Iron Neck, a one-act show written by Ursula Yovich and based on a concept by Josh Bond, who co-directs the show with Gavin Robins. The physical theatre piece is by turns confronting, heart-warming and devastating – but ultimately hopeful.

Kyle Shilling in Legs on the...