PERTH FESTIVAL REVIEW: Black Swan brings the magic of 'Cloudstreet' to the stage
Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet has become almost required reading for anyone living in Perth since its publication in 1991. This Perth Festival, the Black Swan State Theatre Company have brought this beloved story back to stages for an epic production at His Majesty’s Theatre.
This production captures the magical realism of the novel and blows it up with explosive sound, lighting and stage design at every turn. There’s sudden, ringing gunshots, flashing lights, and water. Lots of water. Stage and costume designer Zoe Atkinson, lighting designer Paul Jackson and sound designer J. David Franzke are to be commended for making this more tasteful than it sounds, with the flashy production creating emphasis rather than generating the drama itself. The use of sliding panels and other flourishes of ingenious set design helped propel the narrative forward and established a dreamlike atmosphere.
(Images by Philip Gostelow)
The twists and turns of the script are brought to life with sensitivity and nuisance by the cast. The Pickles and Lambs have never felt more tangible than in this production; it really felt like all twenty years of plot was being broadcasted before your eyes. Picking favourites would be a futile exercise, but special mention must be given to the actors at the plot’s emotional core: Fish and Quick Lamb (Benjamin Oakes and Keegan Joyce, respectively). The chemistry between these two brothers made everything fall into place around it, and every scene between them made time slow.
Despite the lengthy runtime (long enough to warrant an 80 minute dinner break), Cloudstreet never overstays its welcome, with its vivid storytelling captivating attention throughout. From the nervous energy of the first act to the topical serial killer-driven anxiety of the third and final act, this was a play you deeply experienced of. The elements of Indigenous culture explicitly interwoven into the story helped make this a culturally relevant and uniquely Western Australian story. Don’t miss this chance to get swept up in something truly poignant and magical.
