“Bigger and bolder than ever”: Backbone Festival returns to showcase the next generation of creative changemakers
Across this year’s festival, artists are grappling with an increasingly connected and information-heavy world, looking at the absurdity of the world around us and questioning how society is shaped, influenced and manipulated by the media. There’s a real sense of artists trying to make sense of the world they’ve inherited - while simultaneously asking whether they want to accept it as it is.
Werewolf | Binge Culture
From the very outset of Werewolf, I was enthralled. Receiving a series of audience guidelines in the foyer? Thrilling. An unconventional on-stage entry through a quasi-containment-chamber plastic screen? Absolutely on board. Being greeted by armbanded ‘Wardens’ who look like the outdoorsy camp counsellors of my teenage crush dreams? Strapped in. And all of that was before I'd even read my seat allotted instructional card…gasp! (if you know, you know)
Scorched Earth | Attic Projects
Scorched Earth is a phenomenal testament to the respective powers of theatre and dance, and needs to be seen to be believed. Equal parts dreamlike and nightmarish, it’s more of an experience than a conventional narrative act, and I hope to see more works like it on local stages in the next few years.
Maestro 7: Symphonic Dances | Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Clerici draws out the power of the orchestra in a piece that includes a memorable saxophone solo, sparkling harp and piano interplay, and an excellent ‘wind section conversation.’ The first movement is incredible: lyrical, soaring strings combined with the rising tension from the brass and woodwind, left the audience quite breathless. And of course the finale of the third movement is a very satisfying way in which to conclude any concert.
Escape | Diavolo: Architecture in Motion & Brisbane Festival
Escape is a captivating, athletic and fast-paced blend of acrobatics, circus skills, and contemporary dance. Expect moments of break dancing, powerful contemporary dance, incredible aerials, circus leaps, and acrobatic tumbles. Be ready to delight in the almost balletic door duet, and be amazed at the often-surreal imagery, jumps and moves.
This Show is a Joke | The Listies
Judging by the audience’s reactions, The Listies proved without a doubt that they know how to elicit genuine laughs from both kids and ‘kidults’ through delightful scrapes and absolute silliness. ‘This Show Is A Joke!’ is a lighthearted, family-friendly production. If you’re looking for a good time, well, shall I say, go catch some LOLs.
Legends (of the Golden Arches) | Joe Paradise Lui & Merlynn Tong
If I were to liken the production to a Singaporean tea time snack, it would be kueh lapis: the steamed, rainbow-layered kind found in wet markets and confectionery shops alike. Sometimes called a nine-layer cake, it’s chewy, and you can really sink your teeth into it. Peeling the layers apart one at a time is a joy that doesn't fade with age, awakening the inner child in adults just as readily as it delights actual ones. This production was just as sticky.
Bleachers | Sprung Dance Theatre
Bleachers reminds me of why dancing in a kitchen at 2am with the people you love can feel like the best thing in the world. It’s a vital and moving piece of work, the creative outcome of an accomplished group of collaborators challenging assumptions about who gets to take up space on our stages. If you like a gut punch that leaves you feeling hopeful, this one's for you.
Attenborough’s Ocean in Concert | Camerata
Ocean with David Attenborough is a powerful documentary film. However, seeing the work on a large screen can have so much more impact--particularly when Steven Price’s incredible score is played live by Camerata. The production offers audiences a memorable experience, and the warm and extended applause is a measure of the skill of the musicians, vocalists and conductor.
No One Gets Out Of Here Alive | The Farm
I found the show to be very touching, and honest about grief while also being honest and appreciative of the everyday miracles of connection, love, and the bliss of enjoying the moment and each other. We all live a doomed life - but we also get to live, and that is where the magic happens.
Shel We | Tupua Tigafua & Brisbane Festival
But it is those movements of activity and communal dance that are the absolute highpoints of the piece. It is an absolute delight to see those moments when the majority of the cast move together in a powerful, contemporary response to the music of Vivaldi and other classical composers. The extended ‘curtain call’ reprise of the moments of tumbling, fast, and frenzied dance is a very special way to remind us of the skill of the performers, leaving the audience wanting more.
Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking | Witi Ihimaera & Brisbane Festival
The dynamic on-stage personas of McDowell and her alter ego Dekkers-Reihana are beyond praiseworthy. Each gifted actor presented a flawless interpretation of their respective roles, convincing in every way, their interplay engaging to witness. In particular, their direct eye contact at all times created an intimacy that irrevocably drew the audience into their ‘world’. We were no longer spectators, bystanders but became irrevocably entwined with the unflinching story unfolding on stage.
Not a Cult* | Counterpilot
Not a Cult* leans into a certain Australian-ness. The cheerful insistence that she'll be right, the motivational slogans, the promise that if we all have a go we'll all get somewhere. Counterpilot takes these familiar cultural touchstones and turns them into something faintly sinister. Is our national identity just a collection of rituals we've agreed to repeat? When does community spirit become herd mentality?
Mama Does Derby | Clare Watson & Virginia Gay
From a performance perspective, Anna Lindner and Elvy-Lee Quici are absolute standouts as Maxine and Billie respectively, bringing a heightened (but believable) mother/daughter dynamic. It’s a very real “cigarette mum and her awkward artsy daughter” relationship, endearing you to both parties immediately and making the ensuing character developments ones you actually care about the outcome of.
Koreaboo | La Boite Theatre
Jeong expertly balanced Soon Hee's guarded defensiveness with repressed creative energy, while Davidson grounded Hannah's desperate attempts for an identity in palpable longing to spend time with her umma. Their dynamic transformed what could have been straightforward melodrama into a nuanced, deeply human portrait of cross-cultural reconnection, showing the raw, awkward distance between two people who barely know each other.
Strong is the New Pretty | Brisbane Festival, Sydney Theatre Company & Trish Wadley Productions
I’ll be honest, as the curtain closed I was fighting back a quiet wave of emotion. Not from sadness, but a massive rush of adrenaline, pride and raw energy. The emotional core of ‘Strong Is The New Pretty’ hit me right in the chest, driven by passion, vulnerability, strength, and team spirit.
The Choir of Man | Andrew Kay & Nic Doodson
The Choir of Man is a joyful, upbeat, musical celebration of mateship, community, friendship and pubs. Impressive harmonies, fabulous tap dancing, live music, and excellent audience engagement all make for a fun night out. Go with your mates or—in the best tradition of British pubs—just turn up on your own and leave having made a few new friends.
Fijian Flying Circus | VOU & Cluster Arts
Fijian Flying Circus is a joyful, energetic celebration of Fiji that mixes traditional storytelling, music and dance with some seriously impressive circus skills. This isn't about outdoing the spectacle of Cirque du Soleil or throwing ever-bigger tricks at the audience. It's about showing what circus can be when culture, humour and storytelling are at its heart.
Old. New. Borrowed. Blue. | Camerata
Camerata’s Old. New. Borrowed. Blue. is a captivating collaboration with Anthony Romaniuk. Dave Brubeck’s iconic Blue Rondo à la Turk, as reinvented in Romaniuk’s fresh setting for strings and harpsichord, was my favourite piece of the night. Fast, fabulous, and fun, Romaniuk’s arrangement made me smile - playing homage to the jazz original, but drawing classical music and traditional instruments.
Saplings | Australian Theatre for Youth People
I loved Saplings. Full stop. It is probably the best piece of young people’s theatre I’ve ever seen, and I hope that it continues to be staged over the next decade. It’s a show that deserves to be seen by as many young people as possible, but perhaps more importantly, it’s a show that young people deserve to see. If you get the chance to see it, I implore you to attend - preferably with any young people you know in tow.