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 |
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.
Second Coming | La Boite Theatre
What made it work so well for me was the balance. The production knew exactly when to pump the brakes, contrasting all that frantic comedy with a few quiet, intimate dialogue down at the front of the stage as Evie shared her inner struggles with Alan, pulling me right into her world.
Eat Slay Zombie | La Boite Theatre
Don’t let the title or the zombie masks fool you – this is far from a typical horror-comedy. McGrady brilliantly channels the chaotic framework of a zombie outbreak as a sharp, clever metaphor to deliver a powerful message about colonisation and First Nations survival in contemporary Australia.
HEAT | Zen Zen Zo
Heat takes place in the sweetly nostalgic backyard of Morningside Scout Hall, a classic school-yard style building with layered timber and a tall roof. The addition of a clothesline, a ring of eucalypts, a sunset and a passing trainline results in a richly sensory experience that charms the early show audience.
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.
Eat Slay Zombie | Alinta McGrady
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where zombies rule and the only form of communication for the remaining survivors is via TikTok, Eat Slay Zombie is a highly entertaining romp led by three contagiously charismatic actors.
AI May - Embodi Theatre
AI May is a play that explores grief, and the ways in which we process it, or the ways in which we do not. It is a slice of tomorrow-styled science fiction, or as it totes itself, futuristic realism, wherein potential technologies of artificial technology have become commonplace in the not-too-distant future, replacing social services and healthcare and other daily essentials.
Harpies | Eli Free
At times graceful and at others deliberately repugnant, these actors gave their all for this show, creating a sense of community with each other and their audience as they progressed. They also involved other artistic elements including electric guitar, puppetry and roving, and it was clear that this is a multi talented, local cast.
Love it, hate it, leave it, return to it. Work out your local pride complex at ‘All My Friends Are Returning to Brisbane.’
Call it what you will the ebb and pull of the Sunshine State has its young people running away, and then running back to Brisbane, in a perpetual state of disenchantment and ocker pride. These themes are explored in the production, All My Friends Are Returning to Brisbane.
Return to the Dirt | Queensland Theatre
This play is sheer genius. It’s bloody brilliant. What a marvellous piece of theatre. I gave the cast a standing ovation on their first curtain call and I stood clapping long after they’d left the stage. I hope everyone gets to see this, young and old.