The Pool by Black Swan State Theatre Company at Perth Festival

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 12 February 2024

The-Pool-Black-Swan-Perth-Festival
Edyll Ismail (as Safiyah) and Tobias Muhafidin (as Ananda) in The Pool
Photo Credit: Daniel J Grant

With soaring temperatures in Perth, many of us might be thinking about jumping straight into the pool at our local.

Being a member of my local pool, I know that visiting my local is more than just about going to the pool to enjoy the facilities. It’s about community and the life of the pool and the people that go there.

And that is the premise of The Pool - Black Swan State Theatre Company’s first play for the season.

The location for the venue is a unique first – the play being staged at Bold Park Aquatic Centre rather than inside a theatre. Donning headphones, we immersed ourselves in the play – listening in to conversations, sitting pool side observing all the action, and hearing internal monologues on daily life and its up and downs and all that goes with it.

Central themes include what is meaningful in life as we go through the different stages in life (growing up, the teenage years, the responsible adult, ageing) along with issues of identity (ethnicity, upbringing, self worth and the age old question of where are you from etc).

Our neighbouring theatre goers sitting next to us had a gorgeous service dog in attendance and she / he also watched in awe – their fluffy head moving from side to side to catch all the action and to try to make sense of it all !

Director Kate Champion and Writer Steve Rodgers have masterfully crafted a perceptive on-point feel good play that brings to the fore a realistic and relatable take on life at a local community pool with the references to Perth throughout adding a nice homespun touch for audience members.

Hats off to the talented cast who did a commendable job in an unusual environment, and who smoothly toggled between conversation and physical action at poolside.

After such a hot day, the pool looked especially enticing on a balmy evening as the surprise end allowed audience members to take the plunge and join in on all the action for the grand finale.

Black Swan State Theatre Company have put together a creative work that is fun, bold and unique to Perth. The Pool has kicked off the season with a splash – be poised at the starting blocks for more action on the theatre front.

The Pool by Black Swan is on at Bold Park Aquatic Centre until 25 February as part of the Perth Festival.

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