WILD SWIMMING
DIRECTED BY ZOE VANDERVELDE
NOV 19-29
BY MAREK HORN
TICKETS
2ND RELEASE
$30 - $40
SALE CLOSED 15/09/25
FINAL RELEASE
$35 - $45
SALE OPENED 12/11/25
A kaleidoscopic exploration of cultural progress, Marek Horn's play Wild Swimming is an interrogation of gender and privilege, and a wilfully ignorant history of English Literature.
Nell and Oscar meet on a beach in Dorset. It's 1595… or maybe 1610. Oscar has returned from university and Nell is doing fuck-all. They will meet here, again and again, on this beach for the next four hundred years. Stuff will change. As it does with time. They will try to keep up.
Hover for Warnings:
Sexual References
Partial Nudity
Adult Themes
References to discrimination, war, and mental illness.
This production is a part of IONS - Our early-mid career artist Program.
'Huge fun... a bold, anarchic and life-affirming celebration of progress and friendship... a thorough and empathetic interrogation of what it really means to move forward, told with spontaneity, honesty and creative flair' - Broadway Baby
'Joyful, clever and funny... Horn’s script is so alive that the whole thing fizzes with energy... a fascinating way to get to grips with gender history' - Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
'A consistent source of delight... Horn's writing is gorgeously supple... a pure sugar-hit of joy' - Exeunt Magazine
An irreverent exploration of gender dynamics... a charmingly wild piece of feminist theatre'Fringe Review'Deliciously immodest, formally inventive and searingly clever' - Guardian
'A confident comedic time-travelling exploration of gender rights, power and history... delivers laughs throughout... sarcastic barbs, a puckish spirit and big ideas all merrily co-exist here' - The Stage
Feedback
Thank you IO for the magnificent production this afternoon. Wild Swimming is a fantastic play, and Grace and Chris gave Oscar winning performances. Just thrilled to have had the privilege of seeing it.
Had me in tears the whole time!! Chris & Grace don’t miss. MUST SEE
What a fantastic show!! Grace and Chris are superb! Cheeky, inspired, a deep dive into the turbulent waters of who we are and why we are. Unmissable!
IO Performance does what it does best once again. Wild Swimming delivers yet another stimulating and thought provoking theatrical experience not to be missed. It was Shakespeare meets Jack Black-on mushrooms. It takes you on a wild ride over centuries, and dares the audience to consider not just gender roles and stereotypes, but affirms, in a parallel left of centre kind of way, that no matter how much things change, they dichotomously remain the same. In the hands of two seasoned professionals who didn’t skip a beat, and involved the audience in an interactive experience which gives an unexpected meaning to Oscar’s flying balls, the performance was sharp, witty and laugh out loud funny. And yes, you will have to see it to fully embrace what that means. Missing this production will be exactly that-you will have missed out. And it shouldn’t be missed. It is positively Blacksperean.
Last night I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Wild Swimming, the latest creation from IO Performance, brilliantly directed by Zoe Vandervelde. Grace and Chris deliver flawless performances -watching them on stage together is a true delight. Wild Swimming is a fast-paced, often frantic, romp through time set on a beach. Bursting with energy, it features hilarious “wild” moments, lightning-fast costume changes (some right on stage), nods to crinoline (a fabric now mostly forgotten), and a healthy dose of time travel. At times it’s a little chaotic - but whether I was laughing out loud or grinning ear to ear, I was completely entertained. Don’t miss this show. As Grace would say, it’s a beast!
Saw it this afternoon it was amazing. Only those two can make getting dressed part of theatre. Loved it. Grace Roberts Chris Jackson Gender privilege still an issue guys!
Genuinely one of my favorite productions that I've seen while living in Launceston! Kudos to the cast as they were world class when it came to their rollercoaster of a performance they both gave to the audience.
The IO Performance Wild Swimming is brilliant! A cracker of a script brought to life by the incredible skills of Grace Roberts and Chris Jackson who are sublime on stage together. Add the directing vision of Zoë Vandervelde who has definitively proven that she can handle a quirky script with ingenuity and prowess. Oh I love it when I leave a show feeling so elated and inspired. Thank you for your hard work.
This performance was so fantastic to watch, edge of seat. The spliced timelines and the journey each of the characters went on through time rocked me such nuance - it absolutely hit on such core issues. It’s a must see !! Well done Grace and Chris honored to have watched your work ! 🤍
This show is an absolute joy to watch. If you’re considering going, do yourself a favour and get there next week - if this is the first time you’ve heard of this show, go along and thank me later. I laughed so hard, so many times that I snorted more than once. It’s so funny, so cheeky, so relevant and so thought provoking - I can’t stop thinking about it. IO Performance always do excellent shows but this one is something else. Exquisite acting, amazing directing, incredible sound/visual design. Absolutely five out of five stars from me. Get your tickets in the link below! Grace and Chris - bloody bravo! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Zoë Vandervelde you are amazing 🎭💕⭐️ Peta Dowe stage manager extraordinaire 😍 Lilly Amos always professional 🤘🏼
