Blanc de Blanc Encore | Strut & Fret
If you have been to a Strut & Fret show before you will know what to expect: incredible circus and burlesque artists, impressive comedians and singers, lots of audience interaction, and a captivatingly decadent 18+ event. If you have never been to a Strut & Fret show before, then be ready to be entertained and wowed by Blanc de Blanc Encore’s top-shelf entertainment; just be aware this is not for the prudish.
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).
kaisiki | An Invitation to Witness the Ebb and Flow of Feminine Grace
“There’s something incredibly empowering in being part of a space where women uplift each other, share their vulnerabilities through art, and grow together. That quiet sisterhood - the shared breath before a performance, and the knowing glance in rehearsal and the mutual respect- has been one of the most beautiful parts of this journey.”
Terms and Conditions Apply | Play on Stage
The play is witty, funny and has some great dance moves. Unsurprisingly, as Day, Dombay and Hosie are each credited as co-creators and writers, the artists are well-cast and portray each of their characters as believable twenty-something housemates.
LOOK UP, it’s the 2025 Backbone Youth Arts Festival
“LOOK UP not only provides that platform but encourages artists to embrace the messiness of creation. Which is something I deeply value in my own process. For emerging artists, it also acts as a vital pipeline for development, allowing new voices to be witnessed, nurtured, and celebrated.”
Chelsea August, Director - Make Me Better Ma.
Saint Joan | The Island of Misfit Players
The Island of Misfit Players have approached Saint Joan with a level of respect and earnestness that felt refreshing to me; with no urge to modernise or reimagine the script, what they have achieved is an excellent, straightforward adaptation of the play while still maintaining a very personal stamp on their interpretation.
Into the Woods | Ad Astra
The cast, without a doubt, was first-rate. The performances themselves were a true showcase of their craft. There was something magical about everyone singing together, blending their voices so beautifully, that gave me goosebumps. I walked out the theatre door with the musical tunes still stuck in my head, and the audience clapping along even after the curtain fell. If you haven’t experienced this famous production yet, I invite you to experience it. Have an adventurous evening deep into the woods—just don’t wander too far off!
BIOS - INFERA | Amy Vowles, Piper Mae & Beetle Miyela
I couldn’t confidently tell you what BIOS - INFERA was strictly ‘about’, aside from the description given by the artists themselves, but I can tell you what it made me feel. The work is patient and meditative, never feeling like it has to speed up to match pace with modern attention spans. I was reminded of my experiences growing up backing onto bushland, walking barefoot surrounded by birdsong and the breathing of trees. I haven’t felt quite so small in a long time, and BIOS - INFERA gave me the same feeling of cosmic insignificance in the best way.
FUSE | Anabella Gregory
As an exploration of ‘why do we gravitate towards certain people,’ FUSE presents audiences with several chapters or movements that illustrate moments of connection, provoking reflection about the nature of family, friendship, and partnership. While the five performers each have their moment at centre stage, I found the interactions between the cast to be most compelling, which is unsurprising for a show that explores how ‘we are emotionally wired to connect.’
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.
Our Top 10 Picks for Melt Festival 2025
If you’re already suffering from Brisbane Festival withdrawal symptoms, don’t worry: Brisbane’s Melt Festival is just around the corner (22 October-9 November)—and probably in many corners near you.
Not all venues are created equal
Come with me as I explore the accessibility of the venues that I have attended during the Brisbane Festival.
Unveiling Shadows | Joshua Taliani
Taliani expertly leads the audience on a journey through krump, bounce, and other hip-hop or street styles; vogue femme and hands performance; and the intersection of these styles with his contemporary dance background as well as his First Nations cultural practises. I use expertly here in the senses that he is (1) a phenomenal technician of all these styles, (2) an exceedingly evocative storyteller, and (3) the master of the world this work takes place in
The Telephone - The Lord Mayor’s City Hall Concert | Gian Carlo Menotti
I wasn’t sure what to expect from a one hour long, free opera sung in English, but after seeing The Telephone, I can say it was a delight. Cleverly presented and beautiful. The Telephone entertained and amazed the audience in a packed-out venue, ultimately providing an accessible entry point to opera for a modern audience.
Comedy on Cue | Blah Blah Blah Improv
With an emphasis on fun, inclusity, interactivity and a whole lot of silly, Comedy on Cue made for a great night out and a great end to the 2025 Undercover Artist Festival that the audience thoroughly enjoyed and felt part of. If you’re in need of some good belly laughs, a bit of escapism, a whole lot of ridiculous and even a bit catharsis, make sure to check out Blah Blah Blah Improv’s next show when it hits town.
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.
White Noise | Touch Compass
White Noise is a piece of performance art that communicates aspects of lived experience as a mother with disability, and encourages us all to ‘consider our place in the conversation.’ Dance and circus are at the centre of a show that is an all-encompassing artistic event that incorporates voice, animation, art, microphone manipulation, and an excellent soundscape.
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.
Daydreamer | The Travelling Rose Theatre
Director / scriptwriter, India Rose has assembled a stellar cast to deliver her powerful autobiographical unflinching script that addresses what it means to live with this unseen disability. All in a mere sixty minutes.