Black Swan State Theatre Company of Western Australia acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live.

First Nations People have been telling stories on this country for many thousands of years, and we acknowledge their incredible contribution to the cultural and environmental landscape we reside in.

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Season 2017

The Lighthouse Girl

Past Show

28 Apr - 17 May

Studio Underground

A courageous story that inspired the roaming spectacular of The Giants.

The Lighthouse Girl

WORLD PREMIERE

“THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IS ON ITS WAY! I SPENT THE WHOLE TIME WAVING AND WONDERING IF CHARLIE COULD SEE ME FROM HIS SHIP.” FAY

A courageous story that inspired the roaming spectacular of The Giants.

Fay, a sweet young girl, lives an isolated life with her lighthouse keeper father on the bleak, windswept Breaksea Island in the Great Southern region of WA. With the outbreak of war in 1914, Fay ﬁnds purpose in transcribing Morse code messages from soldiers stationed off shore, becoming their last hope of getting messages to their loved ones before heading to the front line. On the other side of the country in rural Victoria, Charlie and his best mate Jim abandon the outback for the excitement and adventure of seeing the world. As soldiers in the Light Horse Brigade, they quickly discover the brutal realities of life on the frontline.

This gentle play entwines the lives of Fay and Charlie and brings to life the stories of those left at home during the war waiting, wondering, hoping… and the struggles of the young men who valiantly enlisted to help defend their country. Based on Albany author Dianne Wolfer’s wonderful novels Lighthouse Girl and Light Horse Boy, this evocatively written play embodies a powerful and truthful sense of a pivotal time in Australia’s development as a nation.

The world premiere of The Lighthouse Girl will take place in Albany (21 to 22 April), the birthplace of the ANZAC story, before its season in Perth.

A Rio Tinto Black Swan co-commission, in association with the Albany Entertainment Centre.

Dates

28 Apr - 17 May

Venue

Studio Underground

Duration

1 hr 40 mins (no interval)

Content Warning

Contains some mild language, mild descriptions of war scenarios.

Artists

Daisy Coyle

Cast

Benj D'addario

Cast

Nic MacLaine

Cast

Alex Malone

Cast

Will McNeill

Cast

Giuseppe Rotondella

Cast

Hellie Turner

Writer

Stuart Halusz

Director

Lawrie Cullen-Tait

Set Designer

Lynn Ferguson

Costume Designer

Joe Paradise Lui

Lighting Designer

Brett Smith

Sound Designer

Polly Low

Dramaturgy

Hugo Aguilar López

Stage Manager

Claudia Blagaich

Assistant Stage Manager