In Conversation with LACUNA – Dirty Talk
In this edition of In Conversation, we shine a light on Dirty Talk, a new play by LACUNA, premiering at The Blue Room Theatre from 16 – 27 June. 270 million people worldwide listen to audiobooks each month, ‘BookTok’ is trending, and audio-erotica is quickly gaining momentum as a tool for women’s pleasure. Dirty Talk is a queer, new age, fantastical rom-com that joyfully explores the audio-erotica genre through an immersive soundscape and the discovery of an unexpected connection. We caught up with LACUNA to dive into the creative process behind the work and what audiences can expect from this thrilling new production.
What motivated you to apply to be part of The Blue Room Theatre’s 2026 season, and what drew you to this project?
Over the years we have seen so many interesting shows at The Blue Room Theatre, and really feel like the venue is a great hub for exciting theatre being made in Boorloo. As an emerging artist collective The Blue Room Theatre feels like the perfect space to put up a fresh new work. The team at the Blue Room Theatre has so much experience and dedication to helping artists fulfil the potential of their works. As local Boorloo theatre-makers it felt fitting to have our debut here at a venue that we ourselves love as audience members.
We were drawn to Dirty Talk as we wanted to make a work that was comedic whilst having a lot of heart. We wanted to explore all things pleasure, fantasy and desire through the female-gaze whilst centering self-acceptance. Experimenting with form was also important to us as artists, and the potential of audio integrated storytelling was exciting to us, especially after learning how sound can invite a full body experience. Dirty Talk lets us laugh at our experiences whilst finding solidarity in knowing that the path of intimacy and connection can be a messy one.
How has the creative journey been so far, from concept development to rehearsals?
The journey so far has been super collaborative, creatively invigorating and an overall fun time! From the initial phases of the project, the room has always felt like a space where we can commit to silly ideas, be vulnerable and take risks. The seed of the idea began with the four of us at LACUNA but as more people have stepped on board, the potential of the work has continued to expand.
What has stood out to you during the rehearsal process, any unexpected discoveries or moments of growth?
Something that has stood out to us was realising early on that for this show, due to its comedy and fantastical elements we needed to really commit to ideas to understand whether or not they would land. This sometimes led us down strange and interesting roads, before realising we needed to back track but we would not have arrived at the fully realised work that we have without allowing ourselves the creative grace to experiment and try things we hadn’t done before.
We haven’t really seen a show like Dirty Talk before so a part of the process that was unexpected was having to really trust in the concept without having seen that concept before. A part of growth was leaning into his doubt and having fun with the unknown – embracing what we didn’t know yet as a space where magic can happen.
How has the collaboration with your cast, crew, and creatives shaped the work and your vision for it?
With a big focus of the show being the female gaze, leaning into our various experiences allowed us to find the complexities and layers in the portrayal of the characters and their journeys. We found that we had such a shared language when it comes to romance, fantasy and yearning culture whilst also bringing our own point of views which made it perfect to bounce ideas but also have a clear shared understanding of the vision. Being an all-female creative team, has really served this work in that aspect, being a welcoming, light-hearted and supportive space. Especially with it being a comedy, it leant itself to a ‘yes-and’ environment and our different voices allowed us to find the balance between the deeply funny and the deeply vulnerable. Dirty Talk playing in so many different worlds became so alive with our Stage Manager Shaanice and Lighting Designer Jolene’s amazing ideas.
What does having your show programmed in The Blue Room Season mean to you as a lead creative?
Over the years, we got to see many other artists that have started here at The Blue Room Theatre grow and develop inspiring careers, so it is exciting for us to become a part of that cohort. We feel super grateful to get the opportunity to do what we love and to get to share it with audiences. It has been so enjoyable to work as artists, creating a show over the last six months that means a lot to us in anticipation of our season.
As you move closer to opening, what are you most excited, or even nervous, about sharing with audiences?
There’s a few things we’re both excited & nervous about sharing with audiences. We’re genuinely both excited and a bit nervous about whether the show is actually funny & whether the humour lands. Making a rom-com is really tough when you’re rehearsing in front of people who know the show so well and hear the same jokes all the time, so we’re excited to have brand new audiences react to the show & see when those ‘ah-hah’ moments hit. There’s also something quite taboo about talking about erotica & sex, so we’re a bit nervous to see how audiences take these themes on board. We’re hopefully bringing a sense of warmth, hope & vulnerability, though, to the topic as we explore femme, sex-positive themes and erotica as a form for self-discovery.
As we head into tech week, we’re also really excited to put all of the elements together – from lighting, to set, to sound – to enhance the work even more so. The show is so rooted in our audio world so we’re excited to hear our fantasy worlds come to life in the space.
What is your show bringing to the Perth arts scene, and what do you think would help strengthen the local arts ecosystem?
Mainly, we’re bringing conversations around the female experience to the forefront of Dirty Talk. We’re hoping to create a space where we can have more vulnerable conversations around struggling with love, sex & romance, whilst simultaneously leaning into the beauty in the mess of the journey. We’re valuing making a show where the story centres women in a theatre setting as this is not always the case. We’re opening conversations with audiences of all demographics to continue to investigate stories about, with & for women to showcase the female experience in its entirety.
Something we think would strengthen the local arts ecosystem is, in general, more people coming to see independent art. Especially after Covid, we’ve found a distinct lack of enthusiasm for independent theatre from local audiences. We’ve found that Boorloo artists are doing incredible, new, innovative things, but general audiences aren’t reflecting the same amount of excitement year round as they do during Perth Fringe. We think Boorloo needs to be pushing independent theatre as being an accessible, exciting outing just as much as going to see the big musicals is.
Image by Nicholas Brunker