Presented in association with Perth Festival, Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA presents a wildly Australian take on Anton Chekhov’s comedy of inevitable catastrophe, The Cherry Orchard by Adriane Daff and Katherine Tonkin at Dalkeith’s Sunset Heritage Precinct from 17 February 2021.
“Our 2021 Season With Love marks the company’s 30th birthday year,” said Black Swan Artistic Director Clare Watson. “Site specific Perth Festival productions were synonymous with Black Swan in our early years. So, it makes sense that our first performance of the year is performed at such an iconic site in Dalkeith, on the banks of the river as part of Perth Festival.”
The final play written by Chekhov in his dying days was intended to be his most hilarious comedy. This adaptation takes the story from Russia in the 1880s and replants the orchard to a fictional late 1980s Manjimup in WA. From boom to bust, as the recession hit in 1987 and the America’s Cup put WA on the world stage, Madame Ranyevskaya has to sell up and move out.
Venue capacity is small, so audiences get to experience this production across the Sunset Heritage Precinct, from inside the family home in the former ballroom, flowing through to a sunset picnic under the gum trees overlooking the Swan river, to an outdoor courtyard dress-up party.
“This is a radical way of presenting a Russian classic, steeped in Australiana, and promises some great eighties tunes,” says Watson. “It’s our way of sharing stories that create brave and playful conversations – For you. About you. With you.”
Director: Clare Watson Featuring: Humphrey Bower, Emily Rose Brennan, Grace Chow, Kieran Clancy-Lowe, Michelle Fornasier, Brendan Hanson, Sam Longley, Hayley McElhinney, Bridie McKim, Ben Mortley, Mark Nannup, George Shevtsov, plus two adorable canine friends Assocaite Director: Ian Michael Set & Costume Designer: Zoë Atkinson Lighting Designer: Lucy Birkinshaw Composer & Sound Designer: Dr Clint Bracknell
The Cherry Orchard
Sunset Heritage Precinct, 80 Birdwood Parade, Dalkeith
Season: 20 February – 20 March 2021
Information and Bookings: www.bsstc.com.au
Image: George Shevtsov stars in The Cherry Orchard – photo by Richard Jefferson