The Man the Sea Saw

In 2011, SpoonTree premiered Wolfe Bowart’s production The Man the Sea Saw. Wrapped in a dazzling icicle-clad set that unfolds like a surreal pop-up book, this tender, touching adventure finds the calm harbour between acrobatic suspense, extreme hilarity and poignant themes of family, loss and love.

The production garnered rave reviews from critics and became an audience favourite at the 2011 Sydney Children’s Festival, where children and adults alike were swept up in the story of a man adrift at sea, discovering the real meaning of home. ​ In 2011, the Australia Council for the Arts awarded SpoonTree its third Playing Australia grant to facilitate a national Australian tour of The Man the Sea Saw. The tour concluded with a season at Perth’s Awesome Festival, where Bowart performed at His Majesty’s Theatre and attracted the largest audiences in the festival’s history.

 In 2013, The Man the Sea Saw premiered in New Zealand during a 22-show season at the Wellington Opera House as part of Capital E’s National Arts Festival. In 2014, SpoonTree was awarded a Going Global grant by the Australia Council for the Arts to facilitate a 7-city tour of China and South Korea. ​