Season 2022

At Black Swan, we work, create and perform on Whadjuk boodjah, and we pay our respects to Nyoongar Elders past and present.

Every one of us is the product of our kin, not just genetically but culturally. We each carry a narrative within us that comes from our families. There is a story in us all about how we were loved, and we bring this story with us to our own families, to our friendships, to our workplaces, and to the theatre.

In Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie we meet the Wingfields, trapped in each others’ orbit, held in the slippery grip of memory. The co-dependence of mother and child in Ella Hickson’s extraordinary play Oil is matched by the co-dependence of us all on one of Earth’s most precious and finite resources, in a drama that asks: is blood thicker than oil? Two works by Western Australian writers, Andrea Gibbs’ Barracking for the Umpire and Liz Newell’s Toast, bring us into the homes of families dealing with loss – both hilarious and devastating. Deeply relatable. Once brings strangers together in perfect harmony in a musical at The Regal Theatre, and Connected brings strangers together online with the magic of mindgames. Kin by kismet. City of Gold by Meyne Wyatt puts a family on stage with an unbroken lineage through multimillennia, surviving centuries of colonial violence and asks us to all take a stand against racism: “offend your family, call it out”. If you only see one piece of theatre this year, it must be this, but we are really hoping that you’ll join us for everything.

This is my final year of curating a season of works for Black Swan and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank every single member of the Black Swan family. Gathering audiences and collaborating with extraordinary artists has given me five years of joy and kinship. Thank you.

CLARE WATSON
Artistic Director