CIRCFest22 Meanjin

Overview

Roll up, roll up to Brisbane's newest festival, CIRCFest22 Meanjin, which is all about physical theatre and circus. But don't go expecting big tops, ringmasters and lions here. Yes, there'll be acrobatic displays. There'll also be clowns, too. This definitely isn't your stereotypical circus, though.

Running from Thursday, April 21–Sunday, May 1, this debut event features ten days of shows spanning physical feats, burlesque, drag and more — with 114 performers on the bill, 76 sessions taking place and six venues playing host. So, whether you head to Brisbane Powerhouse, Metro Arts and The Tivoli, or to La Boite Theatre, The Ron Hurley Theatre or the Kingston Butter Factory, you're in for quite the display, with the new fest coming to fruition thanks to partnership with international circus centre Tohu in Montreal.

Highlights include not one, not two, but three shows by Briefs Factory; Arterial, which focuses on First Peoples' connection with Country; the horror-skewing The Long Pigs, as set in an abattoir; and Finucane & Smith's circus-meets-disco experience Diva Dive.

There's also High Tea With BOOFF, an immersive Tim Burton-esque show that, yes, includes tea and biscuits; intergenerational circus courtesy of Casting Off; and the family-friendly Monster Siege, which takes place at Musgrave Park.