Live like a local – explore like a tourist
Imagery provided by Brisbane Music Festival, from a previous performance of Piano Room Piano Room was a reprieve, a transporting mid-morning performance in a carefully curated space. Presented as part of Brisbane Music Festival, it meditated on the interconnectedness of the natural and man-made worlds through soundscapes and music, and the internal world through poetry.... Continue Reading →
Cast of The X Collective's Cleansed Content note: Please be advised this production contains, and this review refers to, simulations of drug use, extreme sexual & physical violence, incest, and suicide. The X Collective close their 2024 season with Sarah Kane's confronting and brutal play Cleansed. Directed by Wayne McPhee, with assistant direction and design by... Continue Reading →
Clarise Ooi, photographed by Naz Mulla Embodi Theatre has premiered a new bilingual play at PIP Theatre, exploring the intersections of human emotion and artificial intelligence. Written and directed by Amy Chien-Yu Wang, with dramaturgy by Helen Strube, AI May is a bittersweet story of loss and love centred on the tensions between an immigrant... Continue Reading →
Audience of Adrift, photographed by Morgan Roberts Counterpilot brought their oceanic participatory theatre experience Adrift back to Metro Arts as part of Brisbane Festival, submerging audiences in the storytelling through audio-based instruction and immersion. Before entering the theatre, we were each fitted with an individual wristband, headphones, and a vest. Voices whispered in the headphones,... Continue Reading →
Kitchen Studio is a gallery installation and series of activations at Metro Arts, West End, devised by artist Elizabeth Willing and presented as part of Brisbane Festival. The immersive, multisensory activations utilised small audience numbers and video design by Chris Howlett to be instructive and contemplative, delivering five "courses" that encouraged participants to consider the... Continue Reading →
Camerata, Lior, and Dr Lou Bennett AM perform Ngapa William Cooper, photographed by Alex Jamieson Camerata – Queensland's Chamber Orchestra collaborated with singer-songwriters Lior and Dr Lou Bennett AM on a deeply moving concert, presented for one night only as part of Brisbane Festival. The first half of the concert featured songs by Lior and... Continue Reading →
After two successful staged readings earlier in the year, Yeah Nah Theatre presents their debut mainstage production at Backdock Arts, directed by Mik Hosking and produced by Campbell Lindsay. Written by Sydney playwright Miranda Michalowski, Young Bodies/Somebody’s premiered at Flight Path Theatre in 2022 and is a coming of age play about sisterhood, secrets, and... Continue Reading →
Tibian Wyles, Benjin Maza, and Lenny Donahue, photographed by Morgan Roberts Dear Brother, a co-production between Blak Dance and Queensland Theatre, has made its world premiere to a standing ovation as part of Brisbane Festival. Co-written by Lenny Donahue and Tibian Wyles, Dear Brother is directed by Isaac Drandic, who has recently been appointed Head... Continue Reading →
Alethea Beetson in Meet Your Maker, photographed by Jade Ellis Alethea Beetson’s theatrical debut Meet Your Maker was a colourful fantasy full of original pop songs, set in an alternate timeline where land was returned to First Nations communities in the 80s. Created and performed by Beetson, Meet Your Maker took the audience on a... Continue Reading →
Desiree Frahn as Ellen, photographed by Billie Wilson-Coffey Eucalyptus – The Opera made its world premiere as part of Brisbane Festival, adapted from Murray Bail’s Miles Franklin Award-winning Australian Gothic novel. Ellen has been raised by her protective father, Holland, on a large property in New South Wales. Alongside his only child, Holland has dedicated... Continue Reading →
The opening night of Limbo - The Return and The West End Electric, photographed by Camilo Hernandez Strut & Fret have christened their new permanent entertainment venue, The West End Electric theatre, with Limbo – The Return as part of Brisbane Festival. A new iteration of their award-winning variety show, it's full of feathers, fire,... Continue Reading →
Luke Murphy and Will Thompson perform Volcano, photographed by Emilija Jefremova Luke Murphy has brought his colossal, episodic dance theatre work Volcano to the Brisbane Powerhouse as part of Brisbane Festival 2024, and it is everything you could want from a festival work – big on ambition and impact, flawlessly delivered, and resisting convention and... Continue Reading →
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