Preparing Ground | BlakDance & Brisbane Festival
Through the medium of contemporary dance—strongly supported by cultural dance forms—these three multi-talented Blak females unpacked themes that authentically conveyed their deep connection to Country. Their multidisciplinary approach also unpacked the dehumanising colonisation of First Nations people, the generational trauma of their forced removal, the unjust banishment of speaking their language, the sorrowful devastation of Country brought about through greed, and finally the desecration of Country in order to appease rapidly growing infrastructure—and simple, tangible elements were cleverly used to convey this profound message.
Altimate Showdown - Heat 5 | Alt Entertainment
What do Jessica Rabbit, a praying mantis with udders, and a lap dancing Gandalf the Grey have in common? All three were featured in heat 5 of Altimate Showdown at The Brightside, and after attending this show, it’s easy to see why this yearly competition is becoming one of the most anticipated alternative events in the Brisbane arts scene.
Our hot pics for BrisFest 2025
BrisFest returns to town this year from 5 to 27 September for Artistic Director Louise Bezzina’s sixth and final festival. With so much arty goodness on offer, it can be hard to know where to start, so the writers of NEHIB have dived into the program and have come up with a list of what you simply must see at BrisFest this year.
Trophy Boys | Soft Tread & The Maybe Pile
It’s not always easy to balance sharp political and social commentary with genuinely entertaining theatre, but Emmanuelle Mattana’s Trophy Boys manages to do just this, delivering a show that’s just as laugh-out-loud funny as it is emotionally biting and politically urgent. Making its Brisbane debut at QPAC after a string of sell-out seasons and critical acclaim in Australia and the US, this queer black-comedy offers a gripping interrogation of the pervasive cultures of misogyny and toxic masculinity in private boys’ schools (and beyond).
Dance Nation | THAT Production Company
Without spoiling too much, this standing-ovation production will make you LOL, cringe, and maybe even gasp at the frankness of its language and topics. The terrific cast brought chaos, vulnerability and teenage angst to the stage, making every scene hilarious, heartfelt, and impossible to look away from; I even found myself memorising some of the lines after watching. In the end, this production was an unforgettable reminder of just how brilliantly messy growing up can be.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist | PIP Theatre
When I first heard that PIP Theatre were doing an adaptation of Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist set in Bjelke-Petersen-era Brisbane, I was stoked. As a fan of the original play and someone who knows the history of Pig City, I was shocked that the idea hadn’t been scooped up sooner—it seemed like a perfect match. So, it is with a very heavy heart that I say I did not like PIP’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist very much at all.
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE! | La Boite Theatre & Dead Puppet Society
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE! certainly has some funny moments, fabulous puppetry and set, a very hard-working cast, a great soundtrack , and a strong climate change message. But Catherine Lawrence came away feeling that this is a show that needs a little more—or, perhaps, less.
She Works Hard For (No) Money | Backyard Flamingo
With its realism, immersive staging, and light-hearted tone, this show delivered a bold, funny, engaging, and deeply thought-provoking experience.
The Visitors | Moogahlin Performing Arts & Sydney Theatre Company
The Visitors is a must-see show; a relevant, funny, moving and thought-provoking piece that is First Nations storytelling at its finest. The Visitors reminds us of the importance of understanding our own histories, and is a provocation to encourage discussions about how we live today, and how Australian communities deal with visitors, migrants and refugees.
The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek | Cut & Run Productions
While many of the themes and ideas explored in The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek are heady and complex, its greatest quality is its humour - many moments had me cackling, and much of this is thanks to the excellent performances of its main cast.
Dear Son | Queensland Theatre
In a world where toxic masculinity and domestic violence have ripped families apart and fractured family relationships, Dear Son amplifies a long overdue need for change. Change that should allow a Blak man the rite of a safe passage to talk openly and honestly about what’s really going on inside himself. But more urgently, to heal the painful damage of the past.
Divine Trash | GALORE! Presents
The evening is a fever dream of drag, burlesque, clowning, stand-up, improvisation, physical theatre, and absurdist comedy. Framed with the irreverent spirit of filmmaker John Waters - famed for celebrating outsider culture and disrupting mainstream society—the show deliberately smashes conventional norms around gender, sexuality, performance, and taste.
Jesus Christ Superstar | Crossroads Live & Work Light Productions
There is much to enjoy in this 2025 Superstar rock concert production: the lead vocals are all strong, it’s great to hear this score played by talented musicians, and the staging is a visual delight. But Jesus Christ Superstar can be so much more than just a rock concert …
Blushing | Zen Zen Zo
Each performer was equally captivating, and they worked so cohesively together you could easily forget who specifically had just done what. Strikingly choreographed, with engagingly over the top movements and reactions. These were recognisably human, but also sometimes exaggerated beyond normal expression like a hall of mirrors, performed in a stylised way that made me lean into the action.
DragSpeare | Jo Loth & Anne Pensalfini
This show challenges your expectations from the very beginning. It was set in a theatre pretending to be an RSL pretending to be the theatre again. The cast plays men, playing women. There were enemies playing lovers and lovers playing enemies and frames within frames within frames … DragSpeare is going to challenge you and give exactly what you need all in one big ball of smouldering pouts, puns, gender fuckery and song.
Cirque Alice | Tim Lawson & Simon Painter
Props to the producers, as they’ve assembled one of the hottest team of carnies to hit a stage in Magandjin for some time, bring tricks rarely scene in our corner of the world.
Circus in a Teacup | Vulcana Circus & Micah Projects
I witnessed empowering moments of redemption when the ensemble flipped the script in two distinct ways. In an act of subversion, the lampshade was treated as a microphone and the closet morphed into a stage the women could stand on top of and verbalise their sentiments.
The Next 14 Seconds | Phluxus2 Dance Collective
The Next 14 Seconds was, in essence, a call to recognise and embrace the humanity in friends and strangers alike in a matter of seconds. Its attempt to answer it in its uniquely unpredictable way was laudable.
Blushing | Zen Zen Zo
Sometimes it felt like the two acted as friends, or sometimes lovers, in other scenes I felt as if they were reflections of self and shadow self., hidden desires pushing up through layers of societal expectations, repressions and social niceties. The chorus swung in and out and around the two as they journeyed through different trials of purity and expression, emancipation and repression.
Yoga Play | La Boite Theatre
In this world of consumerism gone mad, Yoga Play highlights the (laugh out loud) paradox of the practice of yoga between the West (California) and the East (India) using satire to bridge the gap between ludicrous and rational.