The Platypus | Soft Tread Enterprises
A black comedy tackling the complexities of family, relationships, housing, and child rearing, The Platypus utilises its genre-bending format to unpack our cultural biases and ask uncomfortable questions.
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.
Congratulations, Get Rich! | La Boite Theatre
‘Congratulations, Get Rich” reminded me of the value in hearing stories that come from a place of deep cultural specificity — stories that, regardless of your background, tap into shared experiences of love, loss, and connection. It’s rare to see something so intimate and culturally specific on stage, yet still feel so universal — and for me, that’s what made it clear how important it is to keep sharing diverse stories in theatre.
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.
BATSHIT | Leah Shelton
BATSHIT is, well, batshit. It’s a theatrical fever dream, giving a little burlesque, a little verbatim, a little mixed media, and a lot of comedy.
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.
Gatsby at The Green Light | Caper & Crow
Gatsby at The Green Light invites audiences into a decadent world of 1920s glamour and 2020s spectacle. Brimming with classic Gatsby indulgence and theatrical excess, the show delivers a night of cabaret in a club named after the symbol of Gatsby’s elusive desire: The Green Light.
Back to Bilo | Belloo Creative
Back to Bilo’s painstaking efforts in amplifying the refugee story with so much attention to detail are praiseworthy. It is a necessary Australian story. One that needs to traverse terrains and timelines across the continent to the enduring hum of humanity.
Pasifika Made 2025 | Brisbane Festival & Brisbane City Council
Pasifika Made had such a wealth of immersive cultural activities, performances and music to offer that an event of this calibre and creative appeal should have been given more showtime. One day was certainly not enough to indulge my senses and appease my creative appetite in what turned out to be a dynamic and authentic cultural event.
Bad Nature | Australasian Dance Collective, The Club Guy & Roni, Studio Boris Acket and HIIIT
Immersed in Bad Nature, and in the worlds created by the talented team of creatives and performers, I reflected on the news footage of current wars around the world and the reporting of the climate challenges we all face. Coming out of Bad Nature, I described it to my waiting friends as an otherworldly, thought-provoking, dystopian meeting of The Matrix with elements of The Terminator and other sci-fi favourites.
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.
Gems | L.A. Dance Project
Gems is a true Brisbane Festival gem, and it was a privilege to experience this artistic event. It is wonderful to see talented dancers, where the creative collaboration that brings world-class choreographers, visual designers, musicians, dancers, and composers creates a special opportunity for our local community.
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.
Altimate Showdown - Heat 5 | Alt Entertainment
What do Jessica Rabbit, a praying mantis with udders, and a lap dancing Gandalf the Grey have in common? All three were featured in heat 5 of Altimate Showdown at The Brightside, and after attending this show, it’s easy to see why this yearly competition is becoming one of the most anticipated alternative events in the Brisbane arts scene.
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).
Dance Nation | THAT Production Company
Without spoiling too much, this standing-ovation production will make you LOL, cringe, and maybe even gasp at the frankness of its language and topics. The terrific cast brought chaos, vulnerability and teenage angst to the stage, making every scene hilarious, heartfelt, and impossible to look away from; I even found myself memorising some of the lines after watching. In the end, this production was an unforgettable reminder of just how brilliantly messy growing up can be.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist | PIP Theatre
When I first heard that PIP Theatre were doing an adaptation of Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist set in Bjelke-Petersen-era Brisbane, I was stoked. As a fan of the original play and someone who knows the history of Pig City, I was shocked that the idea hadn’t been scooped up sooner—it seemed like a perfect match. So, it is with a very heavy heart that I say I did not like PIP’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist very much at all.
She Works Hard For (No) Money | Backyard Flamingo
With its realism, immersive staging, and light-hearted tone, this show delivered a bold, funny, engaging, and deeply thought-provoking experience.
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.
The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek | Cut & Run Productions
While many of the themes and ideas explored in The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek are heady and complex, its greatest quality is its humour - many moments had me cackling, and much of this is thanks to the excellent performances of its main cast.