Conviction

• My obsession for public pools began when I was growing up in Perth at the iconic 1960s Beatty Park.
• So, I was looking forward to Black Swan State Theatre Company’s new production The Pool, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Watching on from poolside

• Given Perth’s current heatwave, this venue is welcomed.
• Seated poolside, we observe the goings on in and around the pool just as Rodgers did.

• Loved-up teens Safiyah (Edyll Ismail) and Ananda (Tobias Muhafidin) are escaping the censuring gaze of adults.
• The over-60s trio of Roy (Geoff Kelso), wife Greta (Polly Low) and her buddy Val (Julia Moody) are healing their ageing bodies and family rifts.
• Keeping these regulars afloat are poolside staff Kirk (Joel Jackson) and Sandra (Kylie Bracknell) with their own reasons for being there.

Passion for the pool

• Rodgers’ passion for water and the pool washes through his play.
• She has achieved this in The Pool with details that blur the distinction between reality and theatre.
• As we are ushered into the space, swimmers are in the pool, prompting somebody near me to speculate on whether they were actors or actual lap swimmers.

• The actors’ movement in and around the pool and their entrances and exits are carefully choreographed not only to retain focus on the main action but to replicate the rhythms and patterns of people at public pools.
• The Pool is greatly enhanced in its subtle shifts away from realism.
• Champion picks up on the aesthetics of the public pool, focusing on the sensuality of its water and beauty of its objects: handrails, ramp, deckchairs and lane ropes.

A place of connection

Crucial to all this is the audio. The use of headphones for the audience creates an intimacy with the characters. Composer and sound designer Tim Collins’ finely nuanced score supports the action without dominating, and without any hitches.

• This production shows they are also a space where we can have a laugh, shed our skins and find or lose ourselves – and ultimately find connection with others.
• Read more:
  Take a plunge into the memories of Australia's favourite swimming pools

Helen Trenos does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Utilities Diversity Council (NUDC) announced today that Dr. Keesha Middlemass, Associate Professor of Political Science at Howard University, will be part of its December 12 virtual panel – Returning Citizens and Utilities: Platinum Level Programs Inside Prisons and After Reentry.
• Registration can be accessed on the NUDC website https://nudc.com/
  Dr. Middlemass, whose book, Convicted and Condemned: The Policies and Politics of Prisoner Reentry (NY University Press) won the 2018 W.E.B.
• Lastly, the panel will address the role of regulators and utility leadership, who can both have a tremendous impact on these programs.
• The National Utilities Diversity Council educates, develops best practices and guides efforts that will promote diversity in the utilities and communications industries in the areas of governance, employment, procurement, language access/customer service, and philanthropy.

• LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 10th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards took place Saturday, November 4, at the Muhammad Ali Center and boasted another esteemed panel of honorees.
• KIND founder Daniel Lubetzky received the first-ever Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Civility & Compassion for his social entrepreneurship and empowering people to overcome extreme beliefs and division.
• The Muhammad Ali Lifetime Achievement award went to Jason Flom, founder and CEO of Lava Media, LLC.
• Actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award.

• Andrew Peller Limited is one of Canada’s leading producers and marketers of quality wines and craft beverage alcohol products.
• The Company’s award-winning premium and ultra-premium Vintners’ Quality Alliance brands include Peller Estates, Trius, Thirty Bench, Wayne Gretzky, Sandhill, Red Rooster, Black Hills Estate Winery, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, Gray Monk Estate Winery, Raven Conspiracy and Conviction.
• The Company owns and operates 101 well-positioned independent retail locations in Ontario under The Wine Shop, Wine Country Vintners, and Wine Country Merchants store names.
• The Company also operates Andrew Peller Import Agency and The Small Winemaker’s Collection Inc., importers and marketing agents for premium wines from around the world.