A few years ago I took part in a very enjoyable Tales from Rat City podcast episode, hosted by David Waldron and centred around the 1918 Australian mystery aeroplane panic from the perspective of Ballarat in the Victorian goldfields region. That had actors reading out primary source quotations, which was a great way to highlight the oddness of what was going on for the people who were seeing these strange things flying about.
Now, David and Tales from Rat City are amping up the immersion and the weirdness with Panic From The Skies: A Call of Cthulhu Adventure! This sounds like something between a play, a re-enactment, and a role-playing game, all performed live for both in-person and online audiences. I used to play Call of Cthulhu back in high school, like, a lot, so this very definitely speaks to me!
Here’s the official description:
It is 1917.
The world is at war.
On the home front, Australia is wrestling with rapid technological change — aviation promising both thrilling progress and terrifying new forms of warfare.
Then the sightings begin.
Strange shapes moving through the clouds.
Lights flickering across the night sky.
Unidentified flying objects over the Central Highlands.
Ballarat is thrown into panic.
Invaders.
But from where?
Outer… Europe?
Audiences are invited to join a team of plucky adventurers as they investigate whether these reports are wartime hysteria, elaborate hoaxes, or something far beyond what anyone could have imagined.
Blending live performance, improvisation, historical immersion, and interactive storytelling, the event will unfold in real time before both a live audience and an online streaming community.
Set within one of Ballarat’s most significant heritage buildings, the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute, this production is produced by the ENNIE award winning Tales From Rat City team.
It’s being held on the evening of 22 May 2026 at the Ballaraat Mechanics Institute. Tickets are $5 if you’re there, $3 if you’re not. Sounds like a cheap way to have fun and learn about mystery aeroplanes at the same time!
Image source: Ballaraat Mechanics Institute.
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