A powerful family drama from one of Australia’s master playwrights, Black Swan State Theatre Company presents Andrew Bovell’s Things I Know To Be True at the Heath Ledger Theatre from 27 May 2023.
Standing on the outside looking in, the Prices seem like your typical tightknit, working class suburban family. Fran and Bob have worked hard to raise four loving, noisy, healthy kids, taking the stresses, strains, and growing pains in their stride.
Now the kids have flown the coop, they’ve left behind an enormous void. The house is quiet again. It should be time to slow down, catch their breath, and smell the roses Bob so lovingly cares for.
But as stories of their brood’s secret struggles unravel, the Prices find themselves in a fight to hold their fraying family together as the winds of change howl.
Celebrated WA writer Andrew Bovell (When the Rain Stops Falling, Lantana), exposes a tumultuous year in the life of an Australian family that digs deep into the heart of household dynamics and how we react to change.
Moving in its honest beauty, Bovell teases out a rare, uplifting optimism in the face of pain and tragedy that would shake the foundations of even the most united families among us.
“The play is about love in its many forms and is relatable, complicated, and deeply suburban,” says Director Kate Champion.
Brought to life by an all-WA cast, bringing a local touch to the story with Humphrey Bower (The Tempest) as Bob, a retrenched auto factory worker, married to Fran, a nurse played by Caroline Brazier (Mary Stewart, Rake).
Their four children are Pip, the oldest child played by Emma Jackson (Once in Royal David’s City); making their Black Swan debut, Kaz Kane as Mark, the second oldest child, who works in IT; Will O’Mahony (Oil) as Ben the third child working in financial services; and recent WAAPA graduate Laura Shaw as Rosie, the youngest child who doesn’t know who she is or what she wants to be just yet.
With its blend of humour, poignancy, and familiarity, Things I Know To Be True is a compelling drama that is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who sees it, making you want to run home to squeeze your perfectly flawed family and never let go.
Director: Kate Champion | Featuring: Humphrey Bower, Caroline Brazier, Emma Jackson, Kaz Kane, Will O’Mahony, Laura Shaw | Set & Costume Designer: Zoë Atkinson | Lighting Designer: Mark Howett | Composer & Sound Designer: Ash Gibson Greig | Stage Manager: Isabella Taylor | Assistant Stage Manager: Riley Billyeald | Show Head of Audio: Tim Collins | Vocal Coach: Luzita Fereday | Fight Choreographer: Nastassja Norwood
Things I Know To Be True
Heath Ledger Theatre – State Theatre Centre of WA, William Street, Perth
Season: 31 May – 18 June 2023 (previews: 27 – 30 May)
Information and Bookings: www.blackswantheatre.com.au
Image: Black Swan State Theatre Company presents Things I Know To Be True (supplied)