Black Swan State Theatre Company unveils its 2025 Season

Black Swan State Theatre Company has announced its 2025 Season, presenting six dynamic productions including American and Australian contemporary classics, a sizzling dinner party gone wrong, a new Australian work, a witty political portrait, a coming-of-age story and a musical performance from the Kimberley.

“Planning a season is like creating a meal,” says Artistic Director Kate Champion. “We aim for a mix of flavours and textures, undeniable substance, diverse nutrition, and a sprinkling of surprising spices. Our 2025 season is designed to challenge, delight, and nourish our audiences.”

The 2025 Season commences with the American contemporary classic August: Osage County by Tracy Letts, winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and five Tony Awards. A co-production with Belvoir St Theatre, this edition of the play will feature seven WA actors alongside members from the Sydney production. Directed by Eamon Flack and presented in association with Perth Festival, the play runs from Thursday, February 27 to Sunday, March 16 at Heath Ledger Theatre.

Following this is Blue, a beautifully insightful and tender monologue written by proud Kamilaroi man and Heartbreak High star, Thomas Weatherall. This life-affirming story delves into a young person’s journey through life, loss, mental wellbeing and early adulthood. Ian Wilkes directs this surprisingly uplifting production that runs from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, June 8 in the Studio Underground.

Next up, Never Have I Ever, the explosive and savagely funny debut play by Deborah Frances-White (host of the global hit podcast The Guilty Feminist), is a riotous mix of humour, savvy political insights, outrageous twists and turns and joyous mayhem. Undeniably contemporary, genuinely fresh and delightfully contentious, this is a dinner party that leaves its guests reeling with their lives changed. Directed by Kate Champion, this theatrical feast runs from Saturday, June 14 to Sunday, July 6 in the Heath Ledger Theatre.

After sold-out shows around the country, Jonathan Biggins (Ying Tong, A Walk with the Goons) brings The Gospel According to Paul to WA for the first time. The play brings the intriguing complexity of Paul Keating’s personality to life, uncovering the story behind the leader who changed the course of our country and who to this day can still ruffle feathers. Directed by Aarne Neeme, the surprisingly moving and endlessly entertaining show runs from Wednesday, July 23 to Sunday, August 3 at Heath Ledger Theatre.

Regarded as a contemporary Australian classic, Speaking in Tongues by Andrew Bovell was famously adapted for screen into the renowned film Lantana. This cleverly crafted story, full of sliding door possibilities, will make audiences question, in a very personal way, ‘What if I…?’ Finely balanced notions of fate and purpose fill its multi-layered narrative, leaving us to contemplate the vital significance and inevitable consequence of every decision we make. This masterfully interconnected drama is directed by Humphrey Bower and runs from Saturday, August 23 to Sunday, September 14 in the Heath Ledger Theatre.

Bringing a touch of the Kimberley to Perth is Raised in Big Spirit Country, curated by Black Swan’s Broome-based Artistic Associate Naomi Pigram-Mitchell. Born amongst the artistic giants who created the ‘Broome sound’ and who were integral to legendary Black Swan productions such as Bran Nue Dae and Corrugation Road—Naomi’s life has been steeped in the riches of this bountiful creative legacy. Significantly, she now finds herself centred between the vital history of Broome’s past, her own music, and the next generation of performers. This vibrant concert will bring this multi-generational talent to Perth to showcase and celebrate the influential past and the voices of the future.

Finally, Andrea Gibbs (Barracking for the Umpire) returns to the Perth mainstage with her newest offering, Carol. Set in the lead-up to Christmas, the play follows Carol, a woman who has unexpectedly found herself on the margins of society. With a Kmart choir and a homeless Santa in tow, Carol ultimately finds genuine season’s cheer through unexpected alliances, new perspectives and unprecedented resilience. Directed by Adam Mitchell, Carol runs from Saturday, November 22 to Sunday, December 14 at Heath Ledger Theatre.

Black Swan State Theatre Company has announced its 2025 Season. For more info and to buy tickets, head to blackswantheatre.com.au