Black Swan State Theatre Company to Broadcast BLITHE SPIRIT

Black Swan State Theatre Company is continuing its successful live broadcasts in 2015 with a fifth broadcast: Noël Coward's astral comedy Blithe Spirit.

The production will be broadcast live on Saturday 1 August 2015 at 7.30pm from the State Theatre Centre of WA in Perth to regional WA audiences over the Westlink network.

The live broadcast of theatre performances is an opportunity for thousands of regional WA citizens who cannot attend Black Swan performances, because of distance or financial constraints, to share a state-wide 'live' experience within their own home or community.

The broadcast, supported by Lotterywest, will be screened at regional venues, Community Resource Centres (CRCs). Plus, to home viewers who receive their free to air TV via satellite on Channel 602 through the Westlink network.

Tickets to see the live broadcast at regional venues are $10. Please contact your participating regional venues to book your tickets.
Contact your local CRCs to find out if they are participating in the live broadcast or visit www.crc.net.au.

The live broadcast will be shown in eleven regional venues: Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Bunbury, Merredin, Margaret River, Carnarvon, Port Hedland, Karratha, Onslow, Broome and also free of charge on screen in two metro locations; the Perth Cultural Centre and Northbridge Piazza.

Chairman of Lotterywest, Mr John Atkins said "Lotterywest is proud to support Black Swan State Theatre Company with their fifth live broadcast to regional WA audiences. This initiative has proved to be an innovative and enjoyable opportunity for regional communities to experience high quality live theatre in our State. We are pleased that in three regional centres - Broome, Port Hedland and Esperance, people will also take part in community and school theatre workshops where artists from the company will pass on their skills and knowledge."

The company received overwhelming positive feedback to the live broadcast last year:
• We are only a small regional town and this was a wonderful experience in which we would otherwise missed out on. Shark Bay Arts Council
• Thank you for allowing us to sit under the Kimberley sky and enjoy your performance live - 3,500 km away! Kununurra CRC
• Had a great time last night. Such a wonderful initiative, I really hope we see more things like it. Patron in Karratha

Black Swan's Artistic Director Kate Cherry says: Noël Coward's "Blithe Spirit is a comedy about warring wives, laughter, magic and mayhem and is a hilarious and fantastical comedy about 'astral bigamy'."

While researching his next novel, Charles Condomine employs the services of a clairvoyant to see whether it is possible to contact souls in the afterlife. Unfortunately for Charles, the psychic summons the ghost of his dead wife, Elvira. It's soon clear that the morally untidy Elvira wishes to reunite with her husband, much to the dismay of Charles' new (and living) wife, Ruth. Widely considered to be Coward's greatest work, Blithe Spirit treats its grim subject matter with gratifying frivolity, o?ering a playful look at what lies beyond the grave, and what happens when love comes back to haunt us.

CAST INCLUDES: Adam Booth, Adriane Daff, Michelle Fornasier, Roz Hammond, Ella Hetherington, Michael Loney, Jo Morris. DIRECTOR Je?rey Jay Fowler, SET & COSTUME DESIGNER Bryan Woltjen, LIGHTING DESIGNER Jon Buswell, SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSER Ash Gibson Greig.

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