The Black Swan State Theatre Company in Perth has presented its 2018 season.
It's been designed to create and contribute to big conversations about what Western Australian citizens should be talking about and paying attention to.
2018 will consist of four conversations put together by Artistic Director Clare Watson.
Conversation 1: The Boys Are Back In Town. Consists of two beloved Australian plays. Ray Lawler's 1950's drama of love and homecoming 'Summer of the Seventeenth Doll' and Taylor Mac and Zoe Pepper's American kitchen sink drama 'Hir'. Both plays begin with men returning only to find things have changed.
Conversation 2: Hit Me With Your Best Shot. Tony Award-winning musical 'Assassins' is being paired with contemporary British play 'The Events'. Both performances throw extremism and gun violence in the spotlight and highlight the healing power of music.
Conversation 3: Together In Electric Dreams. Two plays about belonging, loving hard and dreaming big. 'You Know We Belong Together' is a play that shows the beauty and complexity of living with Down syndrome and tells a story of Julia Hales finding love. The second is 'Skylab', a '70s sci-fi comedy written by Melodie Reynolds-Diarra and directed by Kyle Morrison.
Conversation 4: Girls Just Want To Have Fun. The final pairing embraces the feminine and focuses on the representation of women across a century. 'In The Next Room, Or The Vibrator Play' by Sarah Ruhl, revealing the history of the vibratory. 'Xenides', the third world premiere musical expose about a 1980s game show hostess from 'Wheel of Fortune'.
Black Swan State 2018 Season
Conversation 1: The Boys Are Back In Town'Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll' – 5-20 May
'Hir' – 10-27 May
Conversation 2: Hit Me With Your Best Shot
'Assassins' – 16 January-1 July
'The Events' – 21 June-8 July
Conversation 3: Together In Electric Dreams
'You Know We Belong Together' – 1-4 March
'Skylab' – 16 August-2 September
Conversation 4: Girls Just Want To Have Fun
'In the Next Room, Or The Vibrator Play' – 20 October-4 November
'Xenides' – 25 October-11 November
