Synopsis
6 – 9 August 2026
From the visionary team behind the multi-award-winning Counting and Cracking – S. Shakthidharan and long-time collaborator Eamon Flack – comes ‘another achievement of sustained feeling and empathy’ (The Guardian).
When an unexpected act of destruction splits her family apart, Gowrie takes a radical vow of defiance: she blindfolds herself, refusing to see the world again until her loved ones are reunited. This sets the stage for one family’s epic journey to retain their dignity and safety, as they live through Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war.
Grand in scale and deeply human at its core, this touching work honours those who endured unimaginable loss – and upheld their capacity for love, connection and pride, even amid devastation. Built out of real-life testimonies from the war and woven through with elements of seminal Indian text the Mahābhāratha and the Greek myth of Antigone, The Jungle & The Sea is a theatrical epic of resilience and the pursuit of justice through love.
Featuring live Carnatic music and a cast including Bharathanatyam dancer Anandavalli and Counting and Cracking alumni Prakash Belawadi, Nadie Kammallaweera, Shiv Palekar, Dushan Philips and Rajan Velu, this evocative theatrical monument is a stirring meditation on survival.
★★★★ “Dares to dream on an epic scale” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★ “…another achievement of sustained feeling and empathy, of insight into chaos, power and the human instinct for joy and survival” – The Guardian
Producer: Belvoir St Theatre
Co-Producer: Kurinji and Lingalayam
Ticket prices
Thursday 6 August Preview Performance
Platinum
$95.00
Platinum Group 4+ (per person)
$89.00
Premium
$85.00
Premium Concession^
$79.00
Premium Under 35
$35.00
Premium Group 4+ (per person)
$69.00
Fri – Sunday Performances
Platinum
$105.00
Platinum Group 4+ (per person)
$99.00
Premium
$95.00
Premium Concession^
$89.00
Premium Under 35
$35.00
Premium Group 4+ (per person)
$79.00
^Available Concessions: Pension Card Holder, Full time student, Health Care Card
* A transaction fee applies. This range includes Concession, Groups or Package prices which have specific requirements.
Credits
A Belvoir St Theatre Production
Co-Produced with Kurinji and Lingalayam Dance Company
Supported by Chair’s Circle and Corpyright Agency Cultural Fund.
Special thanks to: Father Jegasothy, Ghandi McIntyre, Sanchayan Kulasegaram, Sri Sivakumaran, Suzanne Pereira
Dates & Times
Thursday 6 August 2026, 7pm (Preview)
Friday 7 August 2026, 7pm (Opening night)
Saturday 8 August 2026, 1pm & 7pm
Sunday 9 August 2026, 1pm & 7pm
Details
PRESENTED BY:
Canberra Theatre Centre
DURATION:
Approximately 2 hours 50 minutes, including two intervals.
TICKET DELIVERY:
Please note your tickets will only become available 72 hours before your performance, via the delivery method outlined in your order confirmation email.
WARNINGS:
This performance contains haze and loud sound effects. This performance includes themes of war, trauma and sounds of artillery.
AGE SUITABILITY:
This performance is suitable for audiences aged 15+ or with parental discretion.
VENUE:
The Playhouse
SEATING PLAN
ACCESS INFORMATION
NEED TO KNOW
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Concessions
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