Circa Cairns presents The Wet at Townsville Civic Theatre for one time only

A First Nations contemporary circus group is bringing a performance which captures the beauty of the wet season in North Queensland and is playing for one time only in Townsville.

Proudly First Nations-led contemporary circus ensemble, Circa Cairns will bring it's show The Wet to Townsville on March 5. Photo: Josaphine Searle.

For many North Queenslanders, the wet season involves stocking up on canned goods and toilet paper and locking down the household, however Circa Cairns is portraying the season in a new light and will be incorporating people and places with acrobats in their performance of ‘The Wet’.

Artistic director at Circa Cairns and director of The Wet, Harley Mann shared what the Townsville audience can expect during the company’s one time presentation of the show this week.

“I think people think (the wet season) is a really simple, understandable concept,” he said.

“That’ how I felt when I was moving to Cairns, but in the making and discovering of the work and connecting with country it became really clear the wet is a much more complicated, nuanced and beautiful time of year.”

He said the performance which is in the style of contemporary circus, is focused on interconnected relationships between people, the place, animals and stories.

Proudly First Nations-led contemporary circus ensemble, Circa Cairns will bring it's show The Wet to Townsville on March 5. Photo: Josaphine Searle.

“It uses the body in the form of circus to create images and stories,” Mr Mann said.

“It’s a type of circus that reflects the story of (Cairns) and Townsville isn’t far and its relationship to country and this season is very relatable.

“The style of circus we do reflects culture and movement quality of the way First Nations stories are told.”

The Wet which features First Nations performed from across the state premiered in Cairns last year and has been touring regionally, with its most recent show being held in Proserpine.

Mr Mann said it was a timely show with Townsville having just experienced ex-tropical cyclone Kirrily.

“Touring this work in regions that have a connectedness to (the wet season), it’s important to remind people that country and life and all of these things exist in balance,” the director said.

“It’s an essential step in rejuvenating the land and country and it’s quite funny as well that most of the things we do in circus relate to balance and being in balance with one another.”

The show kicks off at 7:30pm at Townsville Civic Theatre on March 5, residents can visit the link to purchase tickets.

Originally published as Circa Cairns presents The Wet at Townsville Civic Theatre for one time only