JUTE Theatre Company is set to showcase four compelling local stories of grit and resilience by Cairns residents before the regional touring production of GRIT at Bulmba-ja Arts Centre from Thursday, March 7 to Saturday, March 9, 2024.
These four stories, carefully selected and collaboratively worked on by JUTE Theatre Company’s Creative Producer and Dramaturge Kathryn Ash, will set the stage for Perseverance Street Theatre Company’s presentation of GRIT.
Award-winning playwright Kathryn Ash crafted three of the four local stories after conducting interviews with the authors, ensuring that their powerful narratives are effectively translated onto the stage.
JUTE Theatre Company’s Artistic Director and CEO Suellen Maunder said she is excited to support and present Perseverance Street Theatre Company’s touring production of GRIT.
“GRIT’s tour is a fitting finale to JUTE’s Build Back Better project, made possible with three-year funding from the Regional Arts Fund,” she said.
“From hosting a series of skills-based training modules to the ultimate prize of regional touring, we have made real inroads into the growth of Queensland’s regional theatre industry.
“The good news is we can continue that work over the next three years with strategic programming being implemented under the banner of DARTS (Driving and Activating the Regional Theatre Sector).
“We know that Queensland is a hotbed of talent and creativity, and the only way to realise this potential is through collaboration, of which this tour is a shining example.”
The local stories shed light on diverse experiences, including the career highlights of freelance news photographer Brian Cassey, who has captured compelling images from war zones and natural disasters.
Also featured is a personal account by writer and communications professional Dan Bateman, detailing the terror his family faced during a flood in December 2023. Additionally, Elizabeth Slattery shares her experience as a member of the Cairns mud army, which rallied to assist in the aftermath of the floods.
Lastly, there’s a tale of love and resilience from local Filipino-Australian actor Anne Charlene Taneja, who found love in the outback and overcame challenges to build a life with her Indian-born husband.
Professional actors will bring these stories to life on stage, with performances scheduled to coincide with GRIT’s Cairns tour dates.
GRIT, developed in 2022 by Perseverance Street Theatre Company in collaboration with local community members, features six original stories celebrating strength and resilience in regional Australia.
Perseverance Street Theatre Company’s CEO Dr Sharon Hogan said she feels immensely proud about bringing GRIT to Cairns.
“GRIT: The Stories, The Town, The Music premiered in 2022 after an exhaustive creative process in which our team interviewed more than 30 people of different ages and backgrounds,” she said.
“From artists, mothers, doctors to engineers, to veterans and pensioners, GRIT emerged into a profound performance of six original stories with stunning vocals.
“And now, in 2024, with the addition of a local story told by a local character from each town or city visited, GRIT is a tour-ready production we are confident audiences will identify with and enjoy.”
The 2024 tour of GRIT, presented by JUTE Theatre Company in Cairns, promises to uplift and inspire audiences across Queensland.
Keep up with the latest news in Cairns and the Far North, and check out some of our top stories this week: New health clinics to be founded and Cairns police kept busy over the weekend.
