Water

Black Swan State Theatre Company’s World Premiere of Water, by Jane Bodie, set around the themes of water, immigration and family, looks at three families over three eras. Almost three interlocking plays, Water is a fascinating new work.

Fiona Bruce’s set design beautifully and elegantly transforms before our eyes from modern island holiday home, through to processing buildings on Ellis Island in the twenties, to plantation buildings in early 20th century Queensland. Strongly emotive lighting design from Lucy Birkinshaw, with Dr Clint Bracknell providing an organic, interesting sound design.

In the first act, set in the near future, we meet a family in crisis, with recently retired politician, Peter (an expertly layered and very strong performance by Igor Sas) celebrating his birthday, with wife Beth (a believable Glenda Linscott), serious older daughter Gemma (a strong Amy Matthews) and free thinking younger daughter Joey (a dynamic Emily Rose Brennan). Joey has brought home a guest, Yize (an outstanding Richard Maganga), an asylum seeker, whose life has been irreparably altered by Peter’s immigration policies.

Subsequent acts examine an Australian couple detained at Ellis Island, featuring an especially strong performance from Glenda Linscott as the very vulnerable Elizabeth, and a complex, forbidden relationship in 1905 Queensland between a cane field worker and the master’s daughter, sensitively portrayed by Richard Manganga and Emily Rose Brennan.

A moving and poignant examination of families, the need for asylum and water as a life source, this is strong and emotive story telling. Well worth seeing.

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: Daniel J Grant