Theatres have had it tough the last year with COVID-19, but now live performances are back and Mudlark Theatre is putting on a show.
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Caravan Boat Treehouse, by Stephanie Briarwood, was supposed to show in 2020 but was cancelled before it even hit the stage due to the pandemic.
Mudlark's artistic director Cheyne Mitchell said the actors had rehearsed, the set was built, costumes were ready, but then the announcement of gathering restrictions and social distancing came.
"So after a whole year we have completely reimagined the work from script up, with a new cast and new direction team," he said.
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"[The show] looks at isolation, healing, reconnecting with human beings, and the script itself has ended up being more relevant now than in 2020.
"We find ourselves in a place where we have all been apart, we have been in a forced isolation and we have all had to take time out, and now in 2021, we find ourselves struggling to reconnect with human beings."
Mitchell said the community was longing for the chance to have shared experiences again.
However, one of the challenges he said the theatre was facing was breaking the habit that the community had now developed of not going out and enjoying events.
The show has waited long enough to be in front of an audience, as the first conversation about it was two-and-a-half years ago.
Mitchell said it had been a "really special experience" to be back in the rehearsal room.
Caravan Boat Treehouse is an all Tasmanian production and will show at the Earl Arts Centre from March 24-27.
As the Earl Arts Centre is under 250 seats, audience capacity can be at 75 per cent.
Mitchell said now more than ever theatre was important for human connection.
"Watching human beings transform in front of our eyes, and just feeling these things together, it's a beautiful and important part of our culture," he said.
"It is about shared experiences, and whether you're there to learn, to dream, to laugh, forget or just be entertained, you will definitely leave the theatre better than you walked in."
To purchase tickets visit theatrenorth.com.au.