Unsung Heroes - A Digital Festival of Western Australian Stories

Black Swan Launches Black Swan Home Theatre

In response to COVID19 and the social distancing restrictions on mass gatherings, Black Swan, in a company first initiative will launch its new digital platform Black Swan Home Theatre.

Distributed across the company’s suite of digital channels, Black Swan Home Theatre audiences will find video messages from actors, behind the scenes interviews with artists and creatives, backstage tours of our workshops and the digital production of Unsung Heroes: A Festival of Western Australian Stories.

Black Swan has always been about bringing people together and creating connection through live story telling. With the remainder of the 2020 season postponed until Oklahoma! in November, Black Swan Home Theatre presents an opportunity to continue to foster human connection and build a sense of community online, through the love of theatre.

Initially planned as part of the 2020 Season, Unsung Heroes is a collection of solo performances that celebrate everyday Western Australians who have done extraordinary things, in a world premiere season directed by Emily McLean and Joe Paradise Lui.

The performances tell stories of courage, adventure, new beginnings, dignity, and life’s music, created, written, curated and performed by Western Australians in WA.

The works have been written by local playwrights Gita Bezard, Barbara Hostalek, Chris Isaacs, Hellie Turner and Mararo Wangai.

Artistic Director Clare Watson said “Black Swan is proud to be able to continue working with our creative teams in order to help support our sector, keep theatre professionals employed, and keep creativity alive. Back in April, we undertook a four week creative development with the cast and creatives of The Cherry Orchard over four states via ZOOM. We are thrilled to continue to share our work with new audiences via Black Swan Home Theatre in presenting the digital season of Unsung Heroes.”

Each Unsung Heroes monologue was filmed on stage. The pre-recorded performances will be live streamed for free to registered users from Tuesday July 21. A live Q&A facilitated by Resident Artist Ian Michael will follow each live stream. All performances will also be made available on demand. To watch the performances live streamed or on demand, registrations are essential. Register via: https://bsstc.com.au/plays/unsung-heroes

Image: Caitlin Beresford-Ord

The Program

·       7.30pmWST Tues 21 July OPENING NIGHT: Song in the Key of Trust by Mararo Wangai – Actor Mararo Wangai - A renowned musician follows his passion for song to a country far from the land of his birth.

·       7.30pmWST Wed 22 July: The Unremarkable and Ordinary Life of Carmela Caterina Tassone (Nee Panaia) by Chris Isaacs – Actor Chris Isaacs - Carmela Caterina Tassone is a woman that places aren't named after. Her name never made newspaper headlines. You will never have heard of her. This is the story of her nondescript existence.

·       7.30pmWST Thurs 23 July: The Perfect Boy by Gita Bezard – Actor Caitlin Beresford-Ord - A courageous doctor risks all to shine a light on the right to choose to die with dignity.

·       7.30pmWST Wed 29 July: Lesson in the Art of Butterfly by Hellie Turner Actor Alison van Reeken - A courageous doctor risks all to shine a light on the right to choose to die with dignity.

·       7.30pmWST Thurs 30 July: Own Way by Barbara Hostalek – Actor Jo Morris - She's strong. She's smart. She has a wicked sense of humour. Her story of survival has changed domestic violence laws across Australia.