Circus acrobats are returning to False Creek this summer, but instead of a giant tent they will be performing from a 100-foot-long tall ship that doubles as a stage.

The City of Vancouver has approved an 18-day run for Nomadic Tempest, a travelling nighttime acrobatic show synchronized to music and digital video projections by BC-based Caravan Stage Company.

See also

The free, all-ages spectacle runs from August 15 to September 3 onboard the Amara Zee, the world’s only tall ship that doubles as a stage and backdrop for live performances.

During its stay in Vancouver, the ship theatre will be moored at Southeast False Creek just west of the Olympic Village, in the same area that is used for Cavalia performances and the Enchant Christmas Light Maze and Market.

A viewing area, consisting of grandstands and ground-level seating, in front of the vessel will provide a nightly capacity for hundreds of people.

A nightly spectacle about climate change

The company’s current show, Nomadic Tempest, focuses on the impact of climate change by following the story of four displaced monarch butterflies forced to migrate.

“The butterflies, embodied by four talented aerial artists, serve as a metaphor for today’s Climate Refugees,” reads the company’s description of its show.

“The Monarchs are from four global regions: Salish Sea, Syria, China and Mexico, each with their own tongue: Hunqeminem, Arabic, Mandarin and Spanish. Their song is sung in each of the above languages, and the original English lyrics are projected as subtitles during the show.”

Songs and narrations are performed live, and the English lyrics are projected as subtitles onto one of the ship’s sails.

Altogether, the show runs for 75 minutes each night, and it is made possible as part of Vancouver’s Canada 150 celebrations.

It complements Uninterrupted – a free, massive nightly digital projection show, featuring the story of salmon migration, on the Cambie Street Bridge from June 28 to September 24.

Other BC shows

The Amara Zee left Texas earlier this month and is now en route to the Panama Canal, where its crew will perform for a month before setting sail for BC.

Performances are also scheduled for three other BC communities, including Gibsons from July 26 to 29, Bowen Island from August 3 to 4, and Victoria from September 13 to 24.

The Caravan Stage Company was founded in 1970 on Vancouver Island as a horse-drawn wagon show under tents, and over recent years it evolved into a globe-trotting, high-tech show on a tall ship.