No Thurston, no problem
CHRIS CALCINO ELEGANT pirouettes will be up against the ferocity of rugby league when the Royal Ballet comes to Cairns.
With the high-society performance falling on the same night as the State of Origin decider, Cairns Regional Council has devised a plan to ensure the crowd could satisfy both their cultural and sporting urges.
The ballet schedule has been wound back to a 7.45pm finish to allow stagehands to quickly rig up a giant projector screen to televise the footy.
Mayor Bob Manning tried not to take credit for the idea, but as a football-mad Queensland supporter, his influence was fairly obvious.
“We will have the big screen erected, so people who go to the ballet are invited to stay and watch,” he said.
“If New South Wales had won this week, I don’t think it would have mattered.
“But given it’s the decider, people may want to rush off home to catch the kick-off.
“It should be a great place to watch the game together as a community.”
Cr Manning suggested the Blues might consider pursuing careers in dance, given their embarrassing performance on Wednesday night.