Never Closer | Underground Theatre Company
What I found most compelling was the authenticity of the character dynamics. Each performer was fully committed, and their Irish accents felt natural, grounding the dialogue in what sounded like genuine, unscripted conversation. The relationships between the friends were tangible; sitting in the audience, I could feel the tension and the thick, awkward air between them.
Sisters | Perseverance Street Theatre Company
I can imagine this work could open up important conversations and thoughts for many audience members regarding what ‘counts’ as abuse, and for that I commend it. If the concept or promotion surrounding Sisters interests you, I do think it is a show worth watching - it is a well-constructed and well-performed piece of theatre that tackles real themes that seemingly spoke to many people.
PRAMKICKER | MO Theatre
PRAMKICKER is a testimony to this indefatigable spirit of women. Even at their worst, supposedly ugliest, and emptiest, kindness and the promise of better days prevail in horizons they dare to imagine and sisterly friendships. PRAMKICKER is an exposé. Newsflash: we are all navigating life in real time with no manual—and that is more than okay.
Fireface | The Velvet Collective
I was instantly pulled into the production’s stark, intimate world. The play demanded my attention from the outset, pulling me into a domestic space that was as visibly decaying as it was volatile, inviting me to witness the unsettling disintegration of the family drama at its core.
Homegrown | Loose Tooth Theatre
Writer Sarah Esser has achieved what I had previously thought was impossible - a horror play that is genuinely uncomfortable and upsetting. While many stage additions to the genre sit within psychological or gothic spaces, Esser leans deeply into the 70’s-80’s filmic space of puppetry oriented body horror and religious trauma (à la The Fly or The Exorcist) in a way that shines on PIP’s sleek indie stage.
Revolution Remixed | Camerata
One of the many reasons to see live music, of any kind, if the to marvel at the artistry and skill of the performers. A definite highlight of the Camerata Revolution Remixed performance was to watch the interactions between the artists, and to see how the musicians bring the composers’ works to life.
Deal With It! | Hanson Creative
Halfway between Rosemary’s Baby and a screwball comedy, Deal With It! is an odd play. Following couple Alix and Max as they investigate roommate Bridget’s comings and goings, the play strikes a horror-comedy tone that, while a welcome change of pace from Magandjin’s usual dramatic fare, left me wanting more.
Malacañang Made Us | Queensland Theatre Company
Malacañang Made Us is a must-see show: great writing, clever design, and a strong cast. And I also love the way in which this show normalises and integrates queer identities and culture. Malacañang Made Us is a great choice for the Queensland Theatre Company program, and is certain to be on many top three lists from the 2025 Melt Festival. Go and see it if you can.
Survival On A Strange Planet | Darcie Rae Boatswain and Calum Johnston
‘Survival On A Strange Planet’ is an often funny take on how an alien might try to understand humanity through pop-culture that doubles as showcase for the aerial, lip-synching and whip-cracking skills of Grace Law (Performer), and for the puppetry talents of Calum Johnston (Co-Creator and Performer).
The Natural Horse | Salad Days Collective
The Natural Horse is a deeply strange play, in more ways than one. A dark comedy about an ex-Soviet family and their struggles with the American dream, it's a work with a lot of lofty concepts and low-brow comedy, much of which is achieved with a scrappy heart that I appreciated.
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.
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.
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.
Zagazig | Curtain World
Zagazig is a beautiful daydream made manifest, I hope it rises again and again, and for all that it will likely get tighter and have better funding in the future, and possible more rehearsals, actual stage hands, and all that other periphery, this beautiful cacophony of original handmade nonsense will always have a soft spot in my heart.
Hello Brisbane Festival, what have we here?
Brisbane Festival is back again in all it’s glory. Editor Nadia Jade has a good look at the program and gives you a rundown of what’s hot, what’s intriguing, what’s unmissable and what’s worth spending the big bucks.
CAKE | IMRSE
This extravagant new work by IMRSE is a feast for the senses and an unapologetic exploration of cancel culture and the concept of an invariable history writing itself. Expect no less than extreme over-dramatics–in the best way, I promise! CAKE is hilarious, sexy, and high energy, offering a deeply satisfying way to spend a night out.
Duck Pond | Circa
If you enjoy seeing circus performances, you’ll enjoy this show. The cast do a wonderful job and display a wide range of fabulous skills. It won’t be a production that leaves a life-changing impression on you, but you will enjoy it even if you leave somewhat confused by the overall narrative. If, like me, you go in as an audience member with a critical eye for circus and dance productions and with a knowledge of the classical greats however, you may leave somewhat disappointed and confused.
Ordinary Days | New Worlds Stage
I was completely drawn to the performance throughout. I have to admit it was difficult for me to write notes during the performance, as I did not want to take my eyes off away for just one moment. ‘I’ll be here’ by Claire was one of the most touching scenes for me and I couldn’t help but teared up in the end. There were also many funny moments, particularly ‘Dear Professor’., which kept the audience laughing.
Proof | Ad Astra
The actors really owned the sister relationship and there were many beautiful moments of connection in the play. A highlight is where Claire and Catherine are talking about a dress, something seemingly so small but there is a pause where I could feel the entire weight of their relationship and their grief for their father. In such a small moment you could see these two sisters really connect and be completely open and vulnerable with each other without having to say a word.
The Father | PIP Theatre
Tony Nixon’s on stage persona as Andre is flawless - he realistically embodies the role of a person with dementia who is convincing in his struggles to understand the rapid decline of his mind and wellbeing. His physical stance, range of facial expressions, rare lucent moments versus ever increasing memory loss coupled with uncontrollable nervous tics signify the transformational changes and damage of dementia.