PRESS RELEASE
Artistic Director, Kate Champion, believes the 2024 Season is a fascinating array of different ways to see the world through the lives of others.
“For me, theatre is an extraordinary opportunity to experience the world through a perspective other than my own; how someone lives, the concerns they have, the hopes they harbour. Each of these stories and every one of these characters has a unique reality to share with you – up close and personal, intriguing, and insightful.”
The 2024 Season continues the vibrant relationship with Perth Festival as the Company takes to the pool, diving deep into the heart of community life and exploring the intimate, intersecting stories between a diverse group of attendees. The world premiere of The Pool by Steve Rodgers, directed by Kate Champion, invites audiences to be seated around a local pool with headsets to hear, first-hand, authentic conversations, and observations of the everyday.
Experience outdoor theatre under the Perth sunset on balmy nights from 9 to 25 February at Bold Park Aquatic Centre.
Back by popular demand, we are thrilled to hear the centre bounce siren as Barracking for the Umpire, by local actor/comedienne Andrea Gibbs, returns to Subiaco Arts Centre from 23 April to 5 May, prior to a regional WA tour. This laugh-out-loud play tackles head-on the fragility of the human body and the impacts of the great game on our players, our family, and our community. This story, set in Andrea’s hometown of Donnybrook, will strike a chord with every AFL fan, player, parent, and regional audience.
Black Swan is thrilled to announce back-to-back legal spectaculars written by Olivier award-winning playwright Suzie Miller; presenting the inspirational RBG: Of Many, One and must-see Prima Facie.
After a wildly popular, sold-out season, Sydney Theatre Company’s smash hit season of RBG: Of Many, One sees the brilliant Heather Mitchell (Love Me) revive “one of the all-time great performances” (The Sydney Morning Herald), as the woman who changed the face of the American legal system: the indomitable Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This once-in-a-generation theatrical event is part of a national tour directed by Priscilla Jackman, with a limited Perth season on the Heath Ledger Theatre stage for 13 performances from 13 to 23 June.
Hot on the trail is the second Suzie Miller play of the season, Prima Facie. Directed by Kate Champion, this will be an exciting new production of the Olivier Award-winning play that has taken the West End and Broadway by storm. Tessa Ensler is a brilliant defence barrister addicted to winning. From working- class origins to the top of her game, Tessa will relentlessly prod, probe and cross-examine to bring the shadows of doubt in favour of her clients. When a shocking turn of events shifts her to the other side of the witness stand, she has to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof, and morals diverge. Prima Facie runs from 1 to 21 July in the Heath Ledger Theatre.
Winner of Best Play at the 2018 UK Writer’s Guild Awards, The Children by Lucy Kirkwood, is an atomic drama about the the responsibility of generations to those that follow. Robin and Hazel, two nuclear scientists, live a quiet existence in their isolated cottage on the coast. They are determined to enjoy the retirement they worked so hard for. Until old friend and colleague Rose arrives, bringing with her a past Robin and Hazel had left behind, and a frightening challenge for their future. The Children will be directed by Mel Cantwell with a season running from 24 August to 15 September in the Heath Ledger Theatre.
The year continues with The Seed by WA’s own Kate Mulvany, and the semi- autobiographical play that shot her to national prominence. The Seed brims with comedy and tension as three family members navigate finding new life amongst the rubble of old wars. Rose Maloney is travelling to the UK with her father, Danny, a Vietnam veteran, to visit her grandfather, Brian (Danny’s father), who is an IRA soldier. It is their collective birthday. Over the course of a tumultuous evening, Rose learns of her family’s history and reconciles personal conflicts of her place within this lineage and the repercussions of war. Perth audiences may recall Kate’s portrayal of Rose in 2009. In 2024, the role has been entrusted to her younger sister, Tegan, under the direction of Matt Edgerton. The Seed runs from 2 to 17 November at Subiaco Arts Centre.
Pickle Jam is a new and exciting addition to Black Swan’s commitment to nurturing Western Australian talent. Eight of Perth’s hottest writers have been commissioned to explore fresh takes on the gems of great writing to find the seeds of our future plays. These will be performed in the intimate setting of the Holmes à Court Gallery, West Perth, on Friday 10 May and Saturday 11 May, and the following weekend on Friday 17 May and Saturday 18 May.
We encourage you to take the plunge and dive into the theatrical riches on offer in 2024.
