A young schoolboy from a modest background boards a train from a provincial town in Germany to Berlin. He has set out to meet his grandma and give her the money his mother has saved for months. Aware of the responsibility, he carefully sews the money into the lining of his coat. But then he meets an unscrupulous co-passenger and things go awry. Will he be able to recover his money? Who comes to his help in an unknown city?

There is something deeply empowering and assuring about a story that celebrates a child's agency. And that's perhaps why the story of Emil Tischbein and his army of little sleuths is a much-loved one and remains relevant 90 years after it was written by well-known German writer, poet and satirist Erich Kästner. In 2017, Emil and the Detectives was adapted for the stage for Adelaide-based Slingsby Theatre Company by playwright Nicki Bloom, and after a warm reception in the country, the play has been brought to India as part of the six month-long Australia Fest.