(Corner with Roe St)
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9231 9941
Website
The State Theatre of Western Australia, is a great addition to cultural scene of the City of Perth and a landmark of the city despite being barely one year old. It is home to the Black Swan Theatre Company and hosts their yearly programs in the Heath Leadge Theatre, which alternate with functions popping up from other states and overseas. They also have screenings for some extreme and winter sports films and festivals, and temporary Art exhibitions, Vintage and handicraft events, and other functions. The underground area has a theatre studio and an events space, and a courtyard that also holds other functions. There is a bar upstairs and a mini-bar downstairs, and two sets of toilets up and down. In a way, the STWA has a "Downtown Abbey" sort of approach to the venue, and you want to be up up up.
When I saw the Kerry Hill' building finished from outside I thought that it was disappointedly concrete-ish square-ish and bland, and not edgy at all. However, once I entered inside my opinion completely changed. It is a magnificent building, very appropriate for what is designed for, has a mix of old and contemporary elements, and it is very edgy, classic, well organised and comfortable - uber-cool. Just the design of the ceiling is wow.
The Heath Ledger Theatre itself is extremely beautiful, spacious and Nordic-inspired style with a very soft sinuous and warm woodiness that swallows you in - like a wooden warm womb. It is not only beautiful, it is comfy. The seats are spacious and the rows placed in a way that people seating below will not impair your view of the stage and show. The toilets attached to this theatre are wow, movie-like. Hyper-clean and uber-classy. I had a movie-star moment when visiting. Dunno about the male ones. Perhaps they are too girlie for men? Men, do share your experience. The toilets downstairs, attached to the courtyard area, are on the contrary, not very appealing or glamorous, still OK.The killer location of the place makes it super-easy for everybody going to functions without having to take the car out.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
1/ There is an over-presence of elderly and middle aged people in general. That is so because the prices are very expensive for students to venture. Masterminds of the STWA be cooler by being more generous with student prices and memberships. Have a vision of future, and start creating the public of the future by making easy for young people attending and getting interested in Theatre. Do you know what I am saying?
2/ I like the overall whiteness of the bar upstairs, but I think that is too impersonal, boring and uncomfortable. It needs of some good paintings to break the white, and an overall restructuring of the space to allow some extra seating area to be included there. There is plenty of corners and walls to cling to. Eating a snack on a common white table on my feet is not my kind of exciting eating moment. At the moment the upper bar looks more like an airport sort of eating stop, so please fix it.TIP 1
The ground level has an official BOCS ticketing office retailer. This means that you buy anything without being charged extra for the purchase. The chaps attending to are quite friendly.
TIP 2
Pre-order your drinks and light meal online and save.
DID YOU KNOW?
Previews are about 16 dollars cheaper than the normal shows. You won't notice any difference, as the Previews are for the show team and actors to test that everything goes smoothly and fix little things that you would not notice during a performance.
