The 39 Steps | Woodward Productions & Neil Gooding Productions
Ian Stenlake is a great choice for the role of our unsuspecting hero, Richard Hannay. Lisa McCune is a talented actor: charming as the foreign spy, highly amusing as the farmer’s wife, and fabulous as Hannay’s love interest. Casting The Umbilical Brothers is a great idea; the duo is an experienced comedy partnership, which means that Collins and Dundas are very capable of improvising and working hard to see if they can each ‘corpse’ their fellow artists.
Not all venues are created equal
Come with me as I explore the accessibility of the venues that I have attended during the Brisbane Festival.
A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry) | Joshua Hinton
A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen made for heartwarming theatre. Its soulful unfolding is a testimony to the transformative power of stories, especially the ones we relish and rely on for the sustenance of our selfhood.
The Lovers | Shake & Stir Theatre Co
As a lover of both Shakespeare and musicals, I was thrilled to hear that Shake & Stir were bringing The Lovers—a contemporary musical reimagining of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—to Brisbane. Remixing Shakespeare’s classic text with a high-energy pop score and a bold modern attitude, this new musical by Laura Murphy promises humour, romance, and magical spectacle in equal measure.
Milestone | William Yang
Yang was poised in his delivery and sparkling with wit. If he comes this way again, I will tell anyone who loves art, history, the celebration and exploration of queerness and Australiana to go see Milestone or its other iterations. This show is both art and heritage preservation, and a joy to watch.
La bohème | Opera Queensland & West Australian Opera
Opera Queensland and West Australian Opera have combined forces to deliver a beautifully crafted reimagining of Puccini’s La bohème, infusing it with new life while honouring the magic of the world renowned original.
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.
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).
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.
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 …
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.
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.
Big Name, No Blankets | Andrea James with Anyupa Butcher & Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher
Each of the actors presented a compelling portrayal of the members of the band. Baykali Ganambarr’s Sammy was humble, modest, honest and a great narrator of the story. Definte highlights included the fantastic vocals and performances by Cassandra Williams (Suzina, Mum & Ensemble), and the superb stage presence and singing by Taj Pigram, as the Warumpi Band frontman.
Trent Dalton’s Love Stories | Tim McGarry, Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann with Brisbane Festival and QPAC
Following the resounding success of Boy Swallows Universe as a novel, play, and Netflix series, it was almost a given that we would see another of Trent Dalton’s books adapted for the stage. Walking into Love Stories it is nearly impossible to not have expectations. But comparing the two adaptations is unfair, Love Stories is its own experience with a very different narrative approach.
GRIMM | Shake & Stir
Shake & Stir are one of Queensland’s best known theatre companies and they know how to put on a show. GRIMM, their latest offering, was no exception and soared into the self aware, campy horror I love with both glee and skill.
Eucalyptus - The Opera | Brisbane Festival, QPAC and Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Eucalyptus – The Opera might be about the everyday of a small town, full of small people but their grandiose experience of that mundanity is portrayed to dazzling effect here. Evocative, haunting, and distinctly Australian, this work is one I hope to see do very well and thus usher in a new wave of Australiana at the opera.
Straight from the Strait | Opera Queensland, Yumpla Nerkep Foundation and QPAC
Straight from the Strait is a joyful unfolding of a History lesson taking off on the pulsating wings of soulful songs and reverberating through stamping feet carrying ancestral rhythms and wisdoms. It held me captive from the get-go and set my spirit free by the end of the night.
Dreams & Stories | Queensland Symphony Orchestra with William Barton
Sculthorpe’s Kakadu followed, which was a standout in terms of William Barton’s additions through didgeridoo. Note that this was not part of the original score and something Sculthorpe included after hearing Barton play. In part a beautiful homage between musos. I loved the harmonic shifts of the different instruments mimicking birds, trees, nature and the sometimes flight, fright, freeze and fawn.
Horizon | Bangarra Dance Theatre
If you are new to Bangarra’s work, then Horizon is for you. If you are looking for a memorable creative and cultural experience, then Horizon is for you. If you want to admire exceptional cutting-edge contemporary dance, with great music, lighting and costumes … Horizon is also for you. angarra’s Horizon is an unmissable experience.
Dangerous Goods | Polytoxic
If you want to see a subversively hot, femme-fuelled show full of hot babes smashing the patriarchy, go see Dangerous Goods at QPAC. It’s one of the best shows I have seen. Bonus is, there'll be various guest artists throughout this season so no two shows will be the same. You’ve got another three weeks to see this unmissable show.