Following on from her acclaimed performance in the Perth Theatre Company’s production of Tender Napalm last year, Anna Houston returns to perform alongside Humphrey Bowler in Blackbird, a controversial play by Scottish playwright David Harrower.
Blackbird is the story of Ray, a fifty five year old man who is visited at his workplace by twenty seven year old woman Una, who confronts Ray about a sexual relationship that took place between the two when she was twelve years old.
Before the play has even opened it has generated controversy with some people in the community questioning the suitability of the play’s subject matter. Houston confesses that the alarm has been more than she was expecting,
‘I’m really surprised by it, and probably the people making the biggest fuss haven’t read the play, don’t know the context of it, don’t know the playwright’s work. It reminds me of the Bill Henderson palaver from a few years ago, the biggest detractors of his work were people who didn’t even see it. I’m always surprised by that.’
For Houston the play’s delicate subject matter didn’t create any fear or trepidation about taking on the emotionally demanding role.
‘I don’t think you can say no to a piece of work just because it deals with a topic that is somewhat taboo, if you did t
- Anna Houston and Humphrey Bowler in Blackbird
hen you wouldn’t have any art made about, for example, war, or the holocaust, or cancer or divorce. If we don’t touch these subjects, then we don’t get to interrogate them, and hopefully learn from them and understand the human condition.’
The quality of the script is Houston’s gage for choosing the work she commits to,
‘It’s all about the writing. I’m drawn to work that is difficult, and challenging, I don’t enjoy easy safe theatre… What I love about this play is that it’s set in a world that is instantly recognisable to us, and some of the text is set in a style which I suppose is naturalism, technically it’s really demanding and some of it is really poetic.’
Houston’s also excited about returning to perform with the Perth Theatre Company and collaborating with artistic director Mel Cantwell.
‘I think Mel’s programming is just brilliant, she just picks work that is technically superb and that is confronting, always really challenging and has something to say. She doesn’t choose works which are safe or comfortable; I really admire the way she programs.’
Blackbird plays at the Theatre Underground at The State Theatre Centre from March 10 -31, on March 20 there will be a post show Q&A session.
