Despite the uncertainty caused by recent COVID-19 events, shows and events are still going on in the ACT.
But not all of them.
The much anticipated Canberra Writers Festival, planned for August 18-22, has been postponed until late October or early November. The festival was the only such event to go ahead last year, although with a reduced program and a large number of online-only events.
Director Jeanne Ryckmans made the postponement announcement yesterday just hours before she and her team had been due to unveil the large-scale program, which includes more than 150 writers and commentators.
She said it had brought back memories of last year's event, plans for which changed constantly as "the pandemic dispensed with months of hard work".
"The festival is a small not-for-profit organisation, and it would be foolhardy to proceed in the hope that the current COVID calamity will be resolved by August," she said.
"To proceed regardless would likely mean half the program would be compromised."
But she said the fact the festival would now be staged in the spring was a "silver lining".
"Personally, I look forward to the spring festival. It will be the first time in its six years that we move the festival from the heart of winter into warmer climes," she said.
"The bride hasn't been jilted at the altar - she's just postponed the main event."
But the program, which included several international literary figures, will be kept under wraps until closer to the festival.
Meanwhile, Jared Harford, producer and programmer for Interactive Theatre International, said the scheduled, sold-out Canberra performances of Faulty Towers had to be cancelled because of a "ludicrous" decision by the Victorian health authorities.
He said, "[O]therwise, the cast would have to quarantine upon return to Victoria and then miss the Victorian tour. Apparently having zero cases in a year makes the ACT a high-risk red zone!"
At The Street Theatre, Ed Kuepper and Jim White's performance that would have been on Sunday, July 18 has been postponed (to a date yet to be decided) and the performance by the Nicolle Noordhuis Group scheduled for Friday, July 30 has been cancelled.
The Street's artistic director, Caroline Stacy, said there could be more cancellations, "given the Sydney situation".
Just over the border, the Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre has postponed the Johnny Cash and June Carter tribute show Leaving Jackson, scheduled for Thursday July 15, until October. At present, Free-Rain's production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert will open at the Q on July 27, 2021 as intended.
Smith's Alternative co-owner Beth Tully said all the venue's interstate acts had been cancelled from last week until at least the end of July, but local acts would continue and would fill some of the newly available slots.
Other companies and artists are still scheduled to proceed with their performances.
The Canberra Theatre Centre's schedule includes upcoming performances by interstate artists and companies like Bangarra Dance Theatre, The Ten Tenors, comedian Hannah Gadsby and, under special exemption, the parody Potted Potter.
"If we do have to postpone anything, we'd be aiming to postpone and reschedule the performances where possible," a theatre spokeswoman said.
The Ten Tenors' producer, D-J Wendt, said, "We have a Covid health travel management company working on the case and we have been travelling under strict travel bubble conditions since rehearsals. If it is possible for us to come, we will be there and if it turns out that we can't, it won't be for the lack of trying.
"We are of course acutely aware that many of the group's patrons are elderly, so if the experts determine and advise it isn't the safest thing for us to proceed we will have to take that on board as well.
"Canberra is very important to us, as are its citizens."
Canberra Repertory Society's production of The Governor's Family will continue (its final performances are on Saturday).
