The Queensland premiere of Circa’s Leviathan – which had its world premiere at this year’s Perth Festival – sees Brisbane acrobats and dancers join the Circa ensemble to deliver a visceral celebration of human connection during a time of unprecedented disconnect.

Leviathan. Photo © Johannes Reinhart

Directed by Circa CEO and Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz, 36 performers take to the stage in Leviathan, an ambitious exploration of form and a deeply connected and human piece of work. Leviathan feels especially poignant in this present moment, as our global community faces major health, social, and economic challenges, and seems to sit at a crossroads of many uncertainties.

The name of the work is derived from the book of the same name by Thomas Hobbes, who in turn took the title from the Book of Job. Hobbes uses the biblical sea monster as a metaphor for perfect government – the Leviathan comes into being when a commonwealth is established through social contract between a sovereign leader granted absolute authority and the individuals that empower them to lead. The production is filled with hope, focusing on the power of the collective and the greater good that can be...