Monkey Baa in Esperance

Touring is in Monkey Baa’s DNA. We’re thrilled to be bringing "Josephine Wants to Dance" all the way to Esperance, WA, in 2025. We are driven by our commitment to ensuring more young people have access to amazing theatre experiences, regardless of where they live.

We are delighted to chat with Justin Freind, the Manager of Esperance Civic Centre, and hear his insights about the vital role the arts play in regional communities.

Why is it important for regional and remote communities to have access to theatre and the arts?

Having grown up in a small country town in the South West, music and theatre was such a big part of my childhood and continued on throughout my life as a performer. It is so important that regional communities have opportunities to see and hear live music and theatre shows and not have to either watch them on a broadcast or travel to the city to access them. For a lot of residents in remote and regional towns, traveling to see a show is often not possible due to costs and time.

What challenges do you face in bringing theatre and the arts to your community?

Distance is always a huge factor with touring throughout WA. With Esperance being around 700kms from Perth, it is always hard to get touring shows to our venue. Limited technicians and equipment can also be a challenge for certain shows and events.

How do your local audiences typically respond to Families and Children shows?

Family and children shows are always popular as there are not always a lot of opportunities for them in some regional towns.

How do tours like Monkey Baa’s shows benefit your community?

One of the things I love about companies like Monkey Baa is the complete professionalism their shows bring to venues like this.

The standard of the show is exactly what our audiences would see if they saw it in the city or at a larger regional venue.

To learn more about our impact on regional communities, please see our Annual Report.