Werewolf | Binge Culture
From the very outset of Werewolf, I was enthralled. Receiving a series of audience guidelines in the foyer? Thrilling. An unconventional on-stage entry through a quasi-containment-chamber plastic screen? Absolutely on board. Being greeted by armbanded ‘Wardens’ who look like the outdoorsy camp counsellors of my teenage crush dreams? Strapped in. And all of that was before I'd even read my seat allotted instructional card…gasp! (if you know, you know)
Scorched Earth | Attic Projects
Scorched Earth is a phenomenal testament to the respective powers of theatre and dance, and needs to be seen to be believed. Equal parts dreamlike and nightmarish, it’s more of an experience than a conventional narrative act, and I hope to see more works like it on local stages in the next few years.
Escape | Diavolo: Architecture in Motion & Brisbane Festival
Escape is a captivating, athletic and fast-paced blend of acrobatics, circus skills, and contemporary dance. Expect moments of break dancing, powerful contemporary dance, incredible aerials, circus leaps, and acrobatic tumbles. Be ready to delight in the almost balletic door duet, and be amazed at the often-surreal imagery, jumps and moves.
This Show is a Joke | The Listies
Judging by the audience’s reactions, The Listies proved without a doubt that they know how to elicit genuine laughs from both kids and ‘kidults’ through delightful scrapes and absolute silliness. ‘This Show Is A Joke!’ is a lighthearted, family-friendly production. If you’re looking for a good time, well, shall I say, go catch some LOLs.
Legends (of the Golden Arches) | Joe Paradise Lui & Merlynn Tong
If I were to liken the production to a Singaporean tea time snack, it would be kueh lapis: the steamed, rainbow-layered kind found in wet markets and confectionery shops alike. Sometimes called a nine-layer cake, it’s chewy, and you can really sink your teeth into it. Peeling the layers apart one at a time is a joy that doesn't fade with age, awakening the inner child in adults just as readily as it delights actual ones. This production was just as sticky.
Bleachers | Sprung Dance Theatre
Bleachers reminds me of why dancing in a kitchen at 2am with the people you love can feel like the best thing in the world. It’s a vital and moving piece of work, the creative outcome of an accomplished group of collaborators challenging assumptions about who gets to take up space on our stages. If you like a gut punch that leaves you feeling hopeful, this one's for you.
Shel We | Tupua Tigafua & Brisbane Festival
But it is those movements of activity and communal dance that are the absolute highpoints of the piece. It is an absolute delight to see those moments when the majority of the cast move together in a powerful, contemporary response to the music of Vivaldi and other classical composers. The extended ‘curtain call’ reprise of the moments of tumbling, fast, and frenzied dance is a very special way to remind us of the skill of the performers, leaving the audience wanting more.
Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking | Witi Ihimaera & Brisbane Festival
The dynamic on-stage personas of McDowell and her alter ego Dekkers-Reihana are beyond praiseworthy. Each gifted actor presented a flawless interpretation of their respective roles, convincing in every way, their interplay engaging to witness. In particular, their direct eye contact at all times created an intimacy that irrevocably drew the audience into their ‘world’. We were no longer spectators, bystanders but became irrevocably entwined with the unflinching story unfolding on stage.
The Choir of Man | Andrew Kay & Nic Doodson
The Choir of Man is a joyful, upbeat, musical celebration of mateship, community, friendship and pubs. Impressive harmonies, fabulous tap dancing, live music, and excellent audience engagement all make for a fun night out. Go with your mates or—in the best tradition of British pubs—just turn up on your own and leave having made a few new friends.
Fijian Flying Circus | VOU & Cluster Arts
Fijian Flying Circus is a joyful, energetic celebration of Fiji that mixes traditional storytelling, music and dance with some seriously impressive circus skills. This isn't about outdoing the spectacle of Cirque du Soleil or throwing ever-bigger tricks at the audience. It's about showing what circus can be when culture, humour and storytelling are at its heart.
Kooza | Cirque du Soleil
KOOZA is a box of delights that wows, thrills, and amazes audiences. The ‘Army’ of acrobats creates impressive sequences of pyramids, tumbling, ‘trampolining,’ balancing, teeterboard and lifts that are a fun, and quite fabulous demonstration of jumping, catching, strength, balance and trust. But it is the chair balancing and exhilarating Wheel of Death acts that may just have me going back to see this show again.
Now You See Me LIVE | QPAC in association with Tim Lawson & Simon Painter
The pacing is razor sharp—card tricks flow into daring escapes, sleight of hand gives way to full-scale spectacle, and the audience is even let in on a few lessons about misdirection (just enough to make you think you’re clever… right before you’re fooled again).
Whitefella Yella Tree | La Boite Theatre
Whitefella Yella Tree is the Romeo & Juliet of our times. The La Boite debut of award-winning Palawa playwright Dylan Van Den Berg deserves a sold-out close to its short run. It is a clever, and sometimes funny, piece of writing that addresses big issues through a sensitively told story.
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.
Chatter | Spencer Novich
Great art happens when the artist is willing and able to externalise the most true and human parts of themselves on stage for an audience. Chatter is absurd, funny, confronting, and feels deeply real and undeniably honest. It is a compelling rollercoaster of an hour that loops through the silly and sad with a deft artistic hand and slick sound and lighting design. I only wish that I had been able to review this show at the start of its season, so I could have told everyone I know that they simply had to see it.
Elements of Freestyle | ISH Dance Collective
Elements of Freestyle is the definition of defying gravity— a thrilling collision of dance, extreme sports, and classical music. Imagine raw power meeting refined artistry in a high-octane performance that shatters genre boundaries and challenges every expectation. From start to explosive finale, it held the audience spellbound. You can’t afford to look away. Simply put: Wow!
The Chronicles | Stephanie Lake Company
I could just sum up the experience of watching the latest Stephanie Lake Company work, The Chronicles, in one word: wow. But I feel that readers might just demand a few reasons as to why wow. In a mere 75 minutes, The Chronicles reminds us of the cycle of our lives: of the frenzied ‘running to stand still’ work, but also of the moments of beauty, tenderness, and connection… and the inevitability of our final breath.
Tick, Tick … Boom! | Good Time Theatrics
You don’t have to be a musical theatre aficionado to enjoy this one. Set in the musical theatre world, Tick, Tick … Boom! reminds us all about the highs and lows of working out what we really want from life. Thanks to the hard work of Good Time Theatrics’ cast and creatives, Tick, Tick … Boom! is a funny and enjoyable evening at the theatre.
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 …
Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show | Jean Paul Gaultier & Brisbane Festival
Fun, flashy, and fantastical; Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show is a love letter to fashion geeks, theatre freaks, and the super chic everywhere. It’s a spectacular night of entertainment that takes to a world where everything and everyone can be (and is) beautiful. You do not want to miss it.