Obstacle | Grace Longwill
What a body does, what theatre does, what doing a body and doing theatre looks like are all for her to decide. She has created a space that is accessible to her in every sense and while this may disrupt the viewers sense of “good” and “polished” theatre, she doesn’t apologise for it and we (or at least I) don’t have a single complaint about it.
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.
The Bed Party | Sophia Davidson Gluyas
Gluyas seamlessly integrates the commentary into everyday conversation between five friends, creating sharp, witty and tongue and cheek dialogue. As a result, I can honestly say that it’s the sharpest writing I’ve seen on the PIP stage.
Hide The Dog | Nathan Maynard & Jamie McCaskill
As a first generation immigrant mother endeavouring to teach her daughter to have pride in her ancestry and speak her language confidently, I cannot stress the primacy of plays such as ‘Hide the Dog’ being supported and presented on multiple platforms.
Betsy & I | indelabilityarts
Language is how we relate ideas to each other, and not having language for an experience can be as good as total isolation in it. Through learning the words for her experience, Ivy was able to reach out to those around her and say, “This is who I am. This life is mine, and it’s not yours to define for me”.
Sheltered | Kathryn Hall
Kathryn Hall’s Sheltered is a charming, clever, cheeky, and compelling show (beautifully directed by Andi Snelling). Kathryn is disarmingly honest, speaking directly to the audience about the difficulties of leaving home, and establishing an independent life, while living with cerebral palsy.
Crazy Fucking Bitches | A Little Life Theatre
We start by going back to the story of Eve and I liked seeing her in the garden, five Eve’s consuming perfect red apples in the lustful manner they deserve.
The Making of Pinocchio | Rosana Cade & Ivor Macaskill
Ultimately, The Making of Pinocchio is not a grand story looking to shake up gender politics, it is an autobiographical show presented by two individuals telling their story.
Kuramanunya | Thomas E.S.Kelly
The invasion comes, the gun fires, Thomas E.S.Kelly, actor and performer and a Yugambeh/Wiradjuri/Ni-Vanuatu man speaks in language and moves from a place of gathering to anguish as the room melts into a wash of red.
Personal | Jodee Mundy Collaborations
Personal is such a heartfelt story of being a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) and hands down deserves the awards it’s won as both excellence in theatre, and educational in terms of advocacy for the d/Deaf experience.
Stunt Double | The Farm
The scene exploded into a perfect, frantic homage to b-movies that had me grinning ear to ear. That feeling of anticipation, of knowing you were about to see something that was purely and intensely fun, was my favorite part of this production.
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.
Unconditional | Seán Dowling & Cameron Hurry
I understand that we get so little opportunities to tell our stories and on our own terms and so the craving to tell as much of it as we can in the limited time we have, is one I know well. However, quantity does come at the cost of quality here.
Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! | shake & stir theatre co
I cannot contain my excitement as I realise that my ‘wish’ has been granted as I roll myself into the theatre. An abandoned wheelchair similar to my own graces the stage.
don’t ask what the bird look like | Queensland Theatre
Matilda Brown and Michael Tuahine each deliver stellar performances as they navigate the present and try to reconcile their intertwined past. Their initial meeting which starts off cool and distant, is wonderfully played out through their prolonged silences and obvious aversion to conversation.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (revised) (again) | Sun and Wine Arts Company
Director Ben Kasper tackles this fast-paced work by constantly moving at a break-neck pace, throwing one visual gag after another, so even when one particular joke doesn’t land, there is likely one just around the corner that will bring the house down.
Capricorn | Aidan Rowlingson
The first forty-five minutes of the play was some of the most powerful theatre I’ve seen as Dow and Latrise were engaging in an tennis match of absurd proportions about their inner frustrations with themselves and each other, with Llewy-Allan providing comedic quips to add more bounce.
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.
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.