Following a successful debut season in 2018, Artistic Director Clare Watson continues her daring, imaginative programming.
In 2019 the company explores ‘Where the Heart Is’ about family, and in particular, the myriad of Australian families. Clare sees the programme as “a collection of characters and stories that explore belonging. It asks us what it means to be a citizen and belong to a community”.
The 2019 season is a hybrid of classic and contemporary… Old tales and new, fresh voices of Australian theatre.
Six out of the seven plays in the programme have been written and will also be directed by women.
It all begins with Black Swan’s Perth Festival offering ‘Our Town’ by Thornton Wilder which celebrates the extraordinary lives of ordinary people under the stars in the State Theatre Centre courtyard.
‘You Know We Belong Together’ is back by popular demand; a personal account of Julia Hales’ experience of finding love as a daughter, actor, dreamer and person with Down syndrome.
The third show for the year is ‘Water’, a world premiere new Australian work by Jane Bodie, following the journey of families born at different times in our country’s history who are seeking safe passage for their loved ones… An epic drama about what it means to be free.
June comes around with Australian classic ‘The Torrents’ by Oriel Gray, a co-production with Sydney Theatre Company. Starring Helpmann Award-winning comedian Celia Pacquola and directed by Clare Watson.
In collaboration with WA Youth Theatre Company, a radical update of Euripides ‘Medea’ is next in the programme, observing one of history’s most notorious family breakdowns.
‘Black Is The New White’ comes to Perth after sell-out seasons in Sydney and Melbourne. Directed by Paige Rattray it’s a hilarious meet-the-parents shakedown, presented alongside Sydney Theatre Company.
The final play of 2019 is a world premiere. ‘Fully Sikh’, a co-production with Barking Gecko Theatre Company, is written and performed by ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ sensation Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa. It’s the first Aussie Sikh story to hit out stages, promising to be a sensory feast.
