The Last Great Hunt Returns to Perth Festival 2026 with Le Nor (the rain)
The acclaimed artist-led collective The Last Great Hunt is set to make a triumphant return to the Perth Festival in 2026 with their innovative production Le Nor (the rain). This unique theatrical experience will be staged at the Heath Ledger Theatre, captivating audiences with its blend of live performance and cinematic storytelling.
A Theatrical Masterpiece of Make-Believe
Originally premiering at the Perth Festival in 2019 at the PICA Performance Space, Le Nor (the rain) has garnered praise for its imaginative approach. The show features a faux foreign film performed live each night, complete with a made-up Nordic language and English subtitles. This format allows audiences to witness the behind-the-scenes creation of scenes, contrasting the on-stage action with the projected movie screen imagery.
Tim Watts, a founding member and theatre-maker of The Last Great Hunt, explains the core concept: "It's about the delight in seeing how performers craft these images, sometimes in fun or silly ways, and how convincing the final result can be. This imaginative game with the audience is central to many of our shows."
The Evolution of a Creative Collective
Founded in 2013 by Tim Watts alongside fellow artists Jeffrey Jay Fowler, Adriane Daff, Gita Bezard, Chris Isaacs, Kathryn Osbourne, and Arielle Gray, The Last Great Hunt has grown into a prolific force in the arts. To date, they have created over 37 new works and delivered more than 100 seasons with upwards of 2000 performances.
Watts describes the company as an evolving experiment and a leap of faith, emphasizing its non-hierarchical structure and shared accountability. "I view my career as one long creative development," says the 41-year-old artist. "We take our time with each show, allowing ideas from one project to inform another, fostering a continuous cycle of innovation."
Exploring Climate Refugees Through Art
Le Nor (the rain) tells a poignant story set in the fictional Scandinavian island metropolis of Solset, located in the North Atlantic Ocean. The narrative focuses on climate refugees enduring a decade-long drought, with only a few residents clinging to the hope that rain will eventually return.
Watts, who serves as co-creator, co-director, and performer, highlights the themes: "The story is about love, hope, and holding on to what's worth fighting for in a crumbling world. It explores truth and fiction, showing how fiction can sometimes reveal deeper truths than reality itself."
Nostalgic Aesthetics and Language Creation
The production features retro 1980s-inspired makeup, wigs, and costumes, originally added to enhance the visual dynamism on screen. This aesthetic choice evokes nostalgia, reminiscent of late-night SBS Scandi noir films, and ties into the New Romantics era of the 1980s, symbolizing resilience in bleak times.
To support the subtitled performance, the team developed a made-up Nordic language for Solset, structured like English with influences from Scandinavian languages such as Danish, Swedish, and Icelandic, along with elements of Afrikaans, German, and French. Adriane Daff and Arielle Gray led the language creation, with Swedish theatre-maker David Vikman assisting with pronunciation and accent unification.
Collaborative Design and Gadgetry
The set design for Le Nor (the rain) earned a 2019 Helpmann Award nomination, with credits going to the ensemble and Tony Watts, Tim's father. An engineer by profession, Tony crafted the gadgets used in the show, blending creativity with technical skill. "Papa Watts is an integral part of our team," Tim notes. "He finds it rewarding to see audience reactions to his inventions, and it strengthens our father-son bond."
Post-Premiere Journey and Future Prospects
Since its 2019 premiere, Le Nor (the rain) has toured to venues such as the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Albany Entertainment Centre, The State Theatre Centre of WA's Studio Underground, and Monash University's Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts in Melbourne. The upcoming Perth Festival season coincides with the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) in Perth, offering opportunities for national and international connections.
Watts expresses optimism about the production's future: "We had momentum after 2019, but COVID-19 disrupted our plans. We're excited for this new chapter and hopeful about touring prospects. Regardless, any time spent in Solset is time well spent."
Le Nor (the rain) will be performed at the Heath Ledger Theatre from February 25 to 28, 2026. Tickets are available through the Perth Festival website, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in this captivating blend of theatre and cinema.
