^{Cover Image: LÉ NØR [the rain], by multi-award winning team The Last Great Hunt. Image by Daniel Grant.}

In keeping with their commitment to nurture the WA theatre community, the Blue Room Theatre and Black Swan State Theatre Company co-present an annual series of theatre salons. Held in the Blue Room bar once a quarter, each session has a specific topic and provides an opportunity for practitioners to air and share their views and experience. At a recent session, the discussion ended on the issue of ‘the missing middle’: the jump from delivering a successful show at the Blue Room or FringeWorld to being invited to present a work for Black Swan. More generally, this can be described as the gap between launching onto the scene and becoming an established part of it.  

The realm of independent theatre makers, navigating this middle ground has long been a key driver in the evolution of theatre practice in WA. Historically, many theatre companies and organisations such as The Blue Room and Perth Fringe were established in strong part to help artists bridge this divide. It was disconcerting for long term observers of the WA scene to hear that the transition for many talented practitioners remains too difficult.  

Prompted by this, the following survey was conducted and a range of key people within the sector interviewed. As they were asked to speak from their personal experience and their views may not always reflect the official position of their current employer, this article focuses on the views, not the individuals.  

Firstly, a crucial question: why are independent theatre makers so important? 

Put simply, the strength and range of activity in this middle area determines the overall vitality of an arts scene and, by extension, the cultural vigour of a city or region. Although it is crucial to have major and mid-tier companies such as Black Swan, Barking Gecko and Yirra Yaakin, these alone are not enough. The more independent voices there are, the more vital the scene and the stronger the work. Even though some of this may never appeal to a broad popular audience, it nonetheless burnishes a city’s reputation as a centre of artistic excellence. As much as its business and industry, this is how a city grows to maturity.  

Signs of this are beginning to appear in the Perth jazz scene. Not only are a number of internationally renowned artists now based here but, as more and more Perth-bred musicians are making waves around the world, they are shining a light back on their home town.  

In contrast, the theatre scene has a way to go. In recent years though there have been a number of significant advances in the independent sector.  

At the top end, the artist collective The Last Great Hunt and THEATRE 180, have enjoyed critical and popular success locally, regionally and nationally. These two have traversed the middle ground and are now almost fixtures on the scene. More on them anon. 

Other companies such as the PVI Collective, Whiskey & Boots, Sensorium Theatre and Encounter Theatre have been able to carve out a niche for themselves within the independent sector while some mature professionals supplement a strong independent profile by freelancing in more traditional capacities with mainstream companies. 

In terms of support for independent artists, Performing Lines, a national producing and creative development organisation, has been running a branch in Perth since 2009.  

At its current capacity, Performing Lines WA can support some ten projects in theatre, dance and multidisciplinary performance, with at least another five waiting in the wings. The project management, production and marketing assistance it provides is aimed at up-and-coming to mid-career artists and ranges from the seeding of new work, through the various stages of creative development up to the cusp of a premiere season. This enables artists to take their project beyond what they can manage themselves at the Blue Room or Fringe. Crucially though, the projects must attract additional independent funding beyond the services provided. 

Finally, the regional and national touring networks are stronger and more integrated than they’ve ever been and are providing opportunities for projects to have a life, either beyond or in lieu of, a city season. 

In this regard, the middle ground is probably richer and more diverse than it has ever been. Yet for every success story, there are many talented creatives leaving the profession. Of the people who successfully launch at the Blue Room, approximately half eventually abandon their artistic ambitions. Some move into administration while others leave the arts altogether.  

It doesn’t help that the sector is by nature volatile. Companies come and go, their priorities and artistic missions evolve, funding programs shift, new venues spring up while others close or become less accessible. A difficult terrain to navigate, practitioners have to be wily, resourceful and determined. They must always keep an eye on the changes and grab every opportunity that arises. As one senior indie artist quipped: ‘when a door slams in your face, look around for the window and go in that way.’  

It is commonly felt that the WA theatre scene is still recovering from the closure of Perth Theatre Company (PTC) and Deckchair Theatre some ten and fifteen years ago. Along with Black Swan, Yirra Yaakin and Barking Gecko, over decades these companies constituted the key pillars of WA theatre. As well as providing employment opportunities for the theatre community, they would at times collaborate with independent theatre-makers. Although this did not enable the sector to reach its full potential, it helped. Some argue that a replacement company now would, not only add diversity to the mainhouse theatre scene, but go some way to improving the lot of the independents as well. 

However, there is a strong counter-argument that mainhouse companies alone cannot nurture the independent sector. This line runs that, to reach their full creative potential, independent theatre makers must be free to tell the stories they want to in the way that they want to tell them. The profile companies can only support those independents that conform to their branding and curatorial vision, not the ones who sit outside these parameters and challenge this orthodoxy. 

Certainly, there have been significant support programs in the past, notably Black Swan’s HotBed. This successfully launched a number of projects through the PICA performance space. Unfortunately, the program was discontinued when the company’s artistic and financial priorities changed.  

This is where an organisation such as Performing Lines is vital. Its scaffolding approach and focus on individual projects enables the artists to maintain creative control. Moreover, when it comes to the final presentation, Performing Lines partners with established organisations fitting to the nature of each project—Perth Festival, PICA, local and regional councils, as well as regional and some international touring networks (prioritising South-East Asia). The curatorial reach of such partners and co-presenters is more flexible.  

Still, there are only so many projects Performing Lines can support. What about those theatre makers who do not fit into its remit?  

Over years, many companies have been set up to fulfill individual theatre-makers’ creative aspirations. Some of these succeed as sole traders. Some, like ThinIce, fold when the founding artist moves on. Others evolve.  

Historically, the arc of many WA theatre companies has been from an artist driven, ‘we’re going to change the world’ ethos to one aimed at attracting a sustainable local audience. Often necessary to justify state investment, it is mildly ironic that, in the transition, the original mission to produce adventurous, experimental and challenging work is often sidelined in favour of productions that cater to a more general audience’s taste.  

The most successful of the independent companies sculpt their work to balance their artistic vision against the competing forces of funding, finding a sustainable audience and utilising venues that fit their budget. The Last Great Hunt and THEATRE 180 are good examples here. 

The Last Great Hunt focuses on innovative original work that pushes the envelope of the form. By extending its audience through national and regional touring, the collective has been able to maintain this focus while remaining based in Perth. With assistance from the federal government’s RISE program, a COVID initiative since discontinued, the Perth Festival premier season of Night Night (2025) was immediately followed by a national tour. Other national tours have only been made possible due to the financial support of presenter organisations, such as Monash University (Le Nor) while regional touring has been supported through the network of regional theatres.  

Even so, the expense of Perth venues and the costs of touring mean the collective’s works have to be nimble: one or two performers with sets that can be packed into two suitcases. Moreover, even with multi-year state funding, raising additional and necessary creative development monies is difficult. The collective’s core artists supplement their personal income with freelance work. 

THEATRE 180’s vision is to present stories with heart from Western Australia that represent a 180 degree perspective on life, ‘from the exuberance of youth to the wisdom of age’. It’s stories are often derived from community oral histories while the company has developed a cine-theatre presentation style that enables lean but rich productions which can be remounted in repertory. As well as metropolitan seasons, utilizing cinemas and theatres, it has also extended into regional and national touring. The accessibility of the work, both in content and presentation, has enabled the company to build a strong audience base—often four generations of the one family come to their shows. The result is a healthy box office which is enhanced by state arts funding, support from a range of other government agencies and significant philanthropy.  

In the first instance, the establishment of an audience beyond Perth enabled the collective to maintain its challenging vision. In the second, the development of a vision with a broad reach enabled the company to build a sustainable audience. Undoubtedly, it helps that the quality of the work in both is extremely high, they are exceptionally talented teams. 

It is significant here that the works have a life beyond the one metropolitan season. The great tragedy of much independent WA theatre in the past has been that, even with a successful Perth run, it is never seen again. Just when a show had settled in, it’s all over. 

When it comes to individual theatre-makers not working within a company structure, the most enduring hone their skills across a broad range—acting, directing, writing, dramaturgy, producing, teaching. It is not a case of being a jack of all trades but of becoming a master of many. Not only does this feed into their independent work, but it makes them more employable as freelancers working in the broader sector. Other artists have been able to maintain an independent profile working within the Melbourne or Sydney theatre scenes as well as Perth, though this is rare.  

Independent theatre in Perth has always faced three key challenges: finding an audience, accessing affordable venues and attracting funding. As the interviews attest, these are as challenging now as they ever were. 

Finding an audience for theatre across the board has long been an issue. It is not the pre-eminent popular entertainment it was, say, 100 years ago. First film, then TV, now streaming services put paid to that. A specialist artform, it has to prise people out of their solitary comfort zone into a communal, interactive, potentially edgy space.  

Since COVID, this has become increasingly difficult as audiences now are more risk averse. With less disposable income, they prefer to see the known and safe rather than the unknown and challenging. Although difficult enough for mainstream theatre, this is even more so for independent work. 

Nonetheless, there is a segment within the broad theatre audience who enjoy more challenging work and are prepared to take a risk on the unknown. The difficult part for the independents is reaching them. No one organisation has a dedicated database of these people, let alone one available to the broader community. The Blue Room and PICA probably come closest. It would extend the reach of the independent community if there were such a database available for communal use. 

Then there is the vexed issue of venues. Independents face two problems here: finding a studio space in which to develop their work and a theatre in which to present it. Affordability of both is an issue while accessibility for the audience and capacity are key for presentation. 

There are studio spaces available in the Blue Room which, thanks to support from Lotterywest are soon to be increased to four.  

Also, The westberlyn studio in Baywater opened this year. A small, privately-owned space designed for independent artists, this is geared toward development, rehearsals and first draft performances. With a capacity of only 30 seats, it won’t solve the presentation problem but it will help artists in dance as well as theatre to develop and trial work. 

Other artists secure their own workspaces. THEATRE 180 is based in the former Cygnet Cinema in Como and has a separate storage facility while The Last Great Hunt shares a development space in Maylands with the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra. 

^{The westberlyn studios in Bayswater recently opened. Images by James Berlyn.}

When it comes to presentation though, issues of affordability, accessibility and capacity arise.  

The sheer expense of the state owned venues managed by the Arts and Culture Trust (ACT) put them out of reach. An independent production in the Heath Ledger is a recipe for bankruptcy while at more than $20,000 a week, even the better resourced companies can rarely afford the 255 seat Studio Underground. Similarly the venues on the UWA Campus, especially the 198 seat Dolphin Theatre, ideal for independent work, are too expensive for external (non-UWA) users. 

It must be said that the affordability of the state run venues is an issue across the board. Even the resident companies find the cost a burden. It has been suggested that, if the venues were more affordable, more work would be produced and the WA public have a wider choice. It is something of a nonsense that a significant amount of government arts funding is paid back to the government for the use of government-owned venues. An overarching policy and some intra-government co-ordination would make a huge difference and be welcomed across the spectrum of the performing arts.  

The situation is exacerbated at present as the PICA performance space is closed during the Perth Cultural Centre renovations. Albeit only 120 seats, it is a key, quality venue that has long catered to the independent community. It’s current closure is being felt across the sector. 

The Blue Room performance spaces are available but with capacities ranging from 30 to 60 seats the box office potential is limited. Great for trialling new work, not effective for larger scale seasons. 

The new ECU performing arts centre off Yagan Square contains numerous state of the art performance spaces but, geared for training not presentation, their seating capacities are too small to make a difference. 

The Liberty Theatre in Barrack Street, another privately owned venue, has two adaptable performance spaces that have been successfully utilised by Co3 contemporary dance company, the musical theatre company Western Sky, Fringe World and the Perth International Jazz Festival. This has potential to help the independent community but recent increases in hire charges have made it less affordable.  

There are other venue developments in train which may have an impact. Hold that thought. 

Typically, the independents have coped by using non-traditional, often converted venues. Victoria Hall in Fremantle, old churches and other halls, the plethora of pop-up venues utilised by the Fringe, and other small or converted spaces. However, as these do not have the amenity and profile of the more prestigious state-owned venues, they often seem makeshift. This can subtly temper an audience’s response to the work. It is always better if people can go to a well-appointed and well-known venue—it feels safer and sets the right tone. 

Certainly, non-conventional spaces are integral to some projects, but it is more effective if this is by design not necessity. 

On the funding front, it is a cliché to say that there is never enough money to go around in the arts, but alas it is true. Everyone interviewed was grateful for the government support they receive and highlighted its importance for their on-going operations. None complained but a few emphasised that more funds are needed to enable independent projects to be developed through to presentation. The performing arts across the board are very expensive to produce and project subsidies provided usually fall significantly short—especially when the added responsibilities of promoting and administering work have to be incorporated.  

It was noted that the most difficult aspect for the independents is attracting sufficient funding to cover the final rehearsal and presentation costs of a premiere season. Also, recent caps on the level and frequency of funding provided to independent artists have limited their ability to develop and present a show within a single financial year or to develop more than one show simultaneously.  

In the aftermath of PTC folding, the state funding agency mounted a special program to utilise the unallocated monies. For a few years, the WA Theatre Development Initiative Fund enhanced the independent sector by providing project subsidies of $100,000 to $150,000. Lauded by the theatre community and the envy of the dance community, unfortunately, when the residual monies were used up the program ended. Subsequently, the level of funding reverted to the lower, capped amounts provided through the project rounds. 

The state funding agency has always been caught between a rock and a hard place: the rock being the demand for financial support across the spectrum of the arts, the hard place the amount of money available. The selection process is always fraught and those tasked with making the choice act with diligence and integrity. It’s a hard, often thankless job especially when strong work and talented artists simply cannot be supported. 

Nonetheless, current State investment in theatre through the Department of Cultural Industries, Tourism and Sport (CITS), as the funding agency is currently known, is considerable.  

Overall investment in arts and culture increased from $29 million in 2015/16 to $69 million in 2024/25. In the past five years, through a suite of competitive grant programs, more than $12.5 million has been allocated to 211 individuals, groups and companies delivering theatre projects. This figure does not include the investment in the major and mid-tier theatre organisations (Black Swan, ARTRAGE/FringeWorld, Blue Room, Yirra Yaakin, Barking Gecko and others) which receive quadrennial funding. 

An additional $7.8 million for small to medium arts, cultural and creative sector organisations aims to provide stability across two years. Some of these funds will likely go to theatre companies and support organisations that do not qualify for quadrennial funding. 

So all up there is considerable money in the system available for independent theatre makers. The sorry truth is that it is still not enough to ensure the sector reaches its full potential. The overall size of the arts budget is a government decision through treasury supplemented with funds from Lotterywest. The funding agency is the messenger in the process. To increase funding the government itself needs to be lobbied. 

Taking into consideration all of the above, it is clear that the middle ground is not actually missing but it is complex and challenging to cross it. There is a lot going on and some practitioners are succeeding. However, despite the diversity, the elements do not come together effectively and there are some crucial bits missing. Simply, the scene doesn’t gel. 

Looking ahead, there is no doubt that an affordable, high-profile 200 plus seat performance space, purpose built or converted, which specialises in the presentation of independent work would be a great boon for the theatre community and lift the profile of original West Australian work. A one stop shop, well-known, well-located, well-appointed, would build a strong profile, encourage a repeat audience and become a place where artists and audiences alike can take a risk. Incorporating the range of the performing arts, not just theatre, there would be sufficient original work in Perth to see such a venue presenting shows year round. The impact on the Perth jazz scene that the Ellington Jazz Club has had is a case in point. One great venue can make a lot of difference. 

The WA Academy of Performing Arts former Mt Lawley campus, which houses a number of fine theatres, is to be redeveloped into an arts and culture hub (submissions recently closed) while B Shed on Fremantle wharf is undergoing conversion into a performance space. Depending on their affordability these could suit this purpose. 

If not a stand alone space, the Studio Underground in the State Theatre Centre would be ideal if a way could be found to make it affordable. 

Running and programming such a venue would require a management and marketing structure, a programming budget and inevitably that a selection process be established. It would not be appropriate to appoint an individual artistic director but could be effectively managed via a consensus selection within broad parameters. Whether this could be administered by expanding one of the existing support organisations or creating a new body is open to debate. Appropriately resourced either would work. Such a structure would be ideally placed to build a sustainable audience that could cater to all participating groups. 

In terms of Government Arts and Culture policy, in 2025 the Cook Government launched Creative WA, a 10-year whole-of-government strategy focused on ‘strengthening the creative industries, celebrating Western Australian stories and places, and increasing access and participation’. Firm details on how this will play out are currently in development but this does indicates a commitment in spirit by government to drive future change across arts and culture. Whether this will result in an increase in government financial support for the arts is yet to be determined.  

It is heartening to note that, as many of the people interviewed for this article stated, overall the independent theatre scene in Perth at present is buoyant. There are many resilient people working hard and getting runs on the board. A common, if not the defining feature of all the people interviewed for this article was their deep passion and commitment. Each person bristled with excitement when speaking about the scene, its challenges and achievements. It would be brilliant for the state of theatre in Western Australia if a sustainable system could finally be developed to harness this energy into a clear way forward. It may be a leap of faith but the creativity and imagination is here to transform WA into a true powerhouse of theatre. Then the missing middle may coalesce into a workable and sustainable space that enables the community of talented independent artists living and working in WA to finally flourish.