34 Scenes About the Weather | Lunch Friend & Anywhere Festival
Featuring 34 Playwrights including two of Brisvegas’s treasures David Burton and Claire Christian, each scene had a distinctive tone and voice, even if sometimes the content sometimes overlapped. Actors Eliza Allen, Harrison Paroz, Jordan Stott and Grace Teng all had their own unique presence on stage and acting prowess. Even off-stage, when they were manually creating weather sound effects – such a brilliant addition – they carried that presence and watchability with them.
Recipe for Relativity | Here + There Productions & Anywhere Festival
The “escape” for this unique Anywhere Festival experience was to assist dimension hopping Hadley to leave our dimension before their DNA broke down from too much inter-dimensional exposure. To help them escape, we were asked to fix their traveling device, a meticulously crafted object that had multiple dials, lights, and doors to fiddle with made by show producer Regan Henry.
Tipsy History | Glitter Martini & Anywhere Festival
One thing I love about the Glitter Martini shows I’ve seen is they’re always audience participation heavy, which is great to keep the crowd entertained at changeovers between the acts. A particular crowd favourite this time was a modern spin on an Ancient Greek drinking game, which everyone got right into, and it really brought out their competitiveness. These interactive segments made the show intimate and that little more special and memorable for everyone.
I'm Not Entirely Here | Vena Cava Productions & Anywhere Festival
While it was impossible to be present for every character interaction or read every scribbled note, I was able to create a complete understanding of the plot. The cast achieved this through moments where all present characters came together to move the plot along. As a result, everyone's experience at I'm not entirely here will be unique, but every experience will also be complete.
13: The Play | Legacy Ensemble & Anywhere Festival
Each of the thirteen performers seamlessly snapped between different set pieces and characters, sometimes even mid-sentence and didn’t miss a beat. In a split second, one actor could be a young child complaining to their parents and in the next breath, they were a gang member. Each transition was seamless as the last.
Polis and Panathenaea | Flaming Carnations & Anywhere Festival
Performance stand outs included Gardiner’s portrayal of Medea and Free’s of Medusa. As Medea Gardiner was both sexy and sociopathic as she detailed her historically misunderstood relationship with motherhood. Free’s physicality as Medusa slithered and snaked, as could only be appropriate for her character.
ART | Staged Theatre Company & Anywhere Festival
As part of the Anywhere Festival, this play was held in a screening room at the Institute of Modern Art. The small space allowed for an intimate performance, something uncommon in Brisbane theatre. All audience members were within meters of the actors, creating an engaging environment in which to enjoy the show.
Card Houses | Harrison Mills & Anywhere Festival
The chemistry and the dynamics between the actors were also brilliant. From their intense fight to a heart-felted conversation, the pacing was well performed throughout, which ultimately drew me deeper into their inner world.
Queen and Friend | Grimes Productions & Anywhere Festival
With a complete lack of props, set or special effects, they crafted vivid worlds with just their voices and bodies, illustrating the different characters through changes in posture, voice and positioning. A real highlight, I have to say, was watching Imogen portray both the human-eating horse and human being eaten by the horse, both the consumer and the consumed, simultaneously. Bloody funny.
"Anywhere Festival is all about discovering shows, places and people you wouldn't expect, where you wouldn't expect." Paul Osuch on this year's Anywhere Festival
Anywhere Festival is about bringing artists and audiences closer together—and it’s about showing there is a way for artists to create and develop shows without having to rely on the bricks and mortar performing arts complex.
Murder On The Not-So Orient Express | Mystify Events
The story, written by Siobhan, had all the tangled storyline fun of a classic absurd crime mystery, with lots of crossovers with the pasts of the passengers, and a plot full of exciting twists and turns. Audience members were inserted into the show by the actors, taken out of their seats and placed right into the action. The cast were skilled at picking these people, and moving on quickly if someone seemed hesitant to be thrown into the spotlight.
Friends of Dorothy | Ghostlight Theatre Co.
What I loved the most about the show wasn’t the musical performances; it was that it didn’t stray away from the dark, oppressive and heartbreaking aspects of queer history and of identifying as queer even in our contemporary society. After Farmer-Trickett shared a personal story about a queer friend they had lost to suicide, there was a minute of silence held to remember all of those from the queer community who are no longer with us, which was such a generous way to reflect.
Hello, Stranger! | The Drawer Productions
Wonderfully written and directed and full of beautiful, nuanced performances, Hello, Stranger showcases the incredible talents of The Drawer Productions. Moving, challenging, educative, funny and full it impactful moments that have stayed with me, it was another standout production from one of Meanjin’s companies to watch. It was certainly one of the standout shows of the 2022 Anywhere Festival for me.
Disappearing Acts | Vulcana Circus
Disappearing Acts was developed in collaboration with environmental scientist Ayesha Tulloch, evident in the many bird facts (some delightful, some sobering) woven throughout the performance. Birds facts and storytelling connected displays of a variety of circus skills including partner acrobatics, stilt walking, magic, and use of the framed picture of the forest for aerial work.
7 Mortal Sins | Glitter Martini
On a drizzly Saturday night, I found myself in a stunning church with steep gabled roof, stained glass windows and brickwork that is 119 years old, celebrating what it is to be mortal. And what better way to do it, than with an Atonement for our sins, Glitter Martini style? I’m talking a freestanding aerial rig center stage. Circus, burlesque, sideshow, and even a little magic. And seven sinfully good acts, administered by one very captivating master of Ceremonies, Priest Benedict.
Oberon 11 | Inscape Assembly
The attention to detail by the designers was *chefs kiss*. It blew me away how fantastically rich the set was - every square inch had some hidden secret clue, either in plain sight or lurking behind the surface. The designers managed to transform a rather small space into a space that was brimming with personality, history, and stories just waiting to be discovered.
If You Build It | High Tide Circus
If You Build It was a raucous afternoon of entertainment, reminiscent of the renegade warehouse cabarets of the days of the Ice Cream Factory and Sean Young Studio. It was everything I love about live performance, high energy, slightly chaotic, unpredictable, a little bit loose and full of passionate carneys keen to entertain and show off their best stuff to the masses. You could definitely say they nailed it. Thank you, I’ll be here all week.
Murder at the Bowlo | Impro Mafia
During the group scenes for the whole audience, the performers really leaned into the silliness of the theme and into interacting with the audience, which kept us giggling along. At times, Murder at the Bowlo almost felt like a pantomime in the best possible ways, with the audience booing, cheering and responding to every character as secrets and accusations flew around the room.
The Virtuous Burglar | Xth Act
While the play was primarily blithe, it explored issues of adultery, madness and hypocrisy in marriages and relationships. It made me reflect on human’s behaviours by exposing and mocking the ugliness of lies, pretence and power in society. “Let love be without hypocrisy”.
