The Swallows is a poetic, genre bending and multi-sensory performance, which reflects on human connection with nature in our modern times. Performed by one of Australia's most beloved actors Helen Morse, with sublime vocals and immersive sound by celebrated vocalist Ria Soemardjo and cellist Helen Mountfort, it follows the life of Aunty from childhood to her mature years, growing up on land stolen and altered by her settler ancestors, and her search for connection to the waterways and nature whose devastation she witnessed as a child and whose resilience and regrowth she leans on for her own survival in the high density area she lives in. Characters human and non human flow through her world, vying for space and resources, as memories arise for healing. And all the time, nature is ever present, waiting to bring everything back to harmony.
Nominated for 3 Greenroom awards in outstanding production design, lighting design and sound design, The Swallows is a global story, which reflects on the impacts of colonisation and migration, changing landscapes, the loss of waterways, and urbanisation, while celebrating the power that connecting with nature can bring to the world.
Creative Team
Writer/Director
Sandra Fiona Long
Performer/Co-Creators
Ria Soemardjo, Helen Morse, Helen Mountfort
Composition/Sound Design
Ria Soemardjo and Helen Mountfort
Designer
Joanne Mott
Lighting designer
Shane Grant
Script Development Collaborator
Helen Morse
Production manager/creative logistics
Cole McKenna
Assistant stage manager/Operator
Aaron Carey-Long
Video documentation & edit
Takeshi Kondo
Originating Producer
Kath Papas Productions
with Kath Papas and Taka Takiguchi
Photos by Darren Gill
Performance History
6 -16 June 2024
Australian Premiere
At La Mama HQ
Melbourne Australia
Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Rich sensory theatrical experience”
– Theatre Now
“An arc that goes from wonder and sensation to quiet despair and then to the return of hope”
– Stage Whispers
“Nice show this. Wry, understated text, tuned, & with multifaceted light”
– Tony Reck
“Truly spectacular. Transforming. Inspirational. Immersive.”
– Chris McNulty- Musician/performer
“Just saw this and was absolutely blown away. A truly incredible show.”
– Audience member- social media
"When reemerging back into the Melbourne cityscape at the end of the The Swallows, I reflected on the variety of thought-provoking sensations I had experienced. I had been swept into a creative performance of a chamber orchestra of nature, invited to view the environment’s evolution through the eyes of a growing child, confronted by the social issues that accompany increasing urbanisation, but also appreciative and relaxed by the opportunity to return to nature." -Theatre Now
"Peopled with surprising characters, The Swallows experimental, unusual form is an intricate fugue of poetry, narrative, soundscape and song, human and non-human voices. We travel with the character of Aunty through the minefield of personal and social history to the heart of the ancient landscape pulsating with life and the possibility of renewal through a deep connection with the natural world." - Helen Morse, actor
