Trent Dalton’s Love Stories | Tim McGarry, Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann with Brisbane Festival and QPAC
Following the resounding success of Boy Swallows Universe as a novel, play, and Netflix series, it was almost a given that we would see another of Trent Dalton’s books adapted for the stage. Walking into Love Stories it is nearly impossible to not have expectations. But comparing the two adaptations is unfair, Love Stories is its own experience with a very different narrative approach.
Lighting the Dark | DanceNorth
As the performers are presented, they are each warmly hugged and welcomed by Chris Dyke—communicating a sense of the artists as people who need to work closely with and trust their fellow dancers. It’s wonderful to then watch those individuals transform from initial ‘chatter,’ and playfulness, to performing impressive dance—here a literal lighting of the dark stage, when the artists ‘switch on’ their performance skills.
Adrift | Counterpilot
If we think in terms of pure impact? In terms of that basic audience question of - well, what did it matter? It’s hard for me not to call Adrift some kind of masterpiece.
Us and All of This | Liesel Zink, Lawrence English, & Performing Lines
Zink and English have achieved something incredibly special here - a true collaboration with highlights coming from both mediums present within the work, it was an honour to watch it in this iteration, with these performers, at this location. Installation art has the ability to change the world in which it exists, and nowhere have I found this to be more true than with Us and All of This.
Limbo - The Return | Strut & Fret
Without spoiling too much, it was an enchanting blend of artistry, music, and acrobatics that was sensual, whimsical, intense, and dangerous. If you fancy a ride into a sinister and sexy circus netherworld that will leave your heart pounding, then ‘Limbo-The Return’ is the perfect show for you.
Dear Brother | Queensland Theatre & BlakDance
Boundary-defying and incredibly heartfelt, Dear Brother is a show unlike any I have seen at Queensland Theatre before; it is truly a feast for the eyes, the ears, and the heart.
GURR ERA OP | Ghenoa Gela in association with Force Majeure & ILBIJERRI Theatre Company
GURR ERA OP is a cautionary tale - yet another timely warning of the very real danger that creator Ghenoa Gela’s Torres Strait Islander communities are having to face with their ancestral homes slowly being devoured by the increasingly rising oceans. There was an undeniable underlying darkness as we were swept up in this engrossing production and the reality of the devastating effects of climate change.
Fancy Long Legs | La Boite Theatre & Little Red Company
Honestly, it’s the type of work I’d like to see championed by platforms like Brisbane Festival and La Boite as a general rule. It’s local, it’s ambitious, it’s kind, it’s inclusive, it’s fun... So why did it annoy me so?
GRIMM | Shake & Stir
Shake & Stir are one of Queensland’s best known theatre companies and they know how to put on a show. GRIMM, their latest offering, was no exception and soared into the self aware, campy horror I love with both glee and skill.
Eucalyptus - The Opera | Brisbane Festival, QPAC and Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Eucalyptus – The Opera might be about the everyday of a small town, full of small people but their grandiose experience of that mundanity is portrayed to dazzling effect here. Evocative, haunting, and distinctly Australian, this work is one I hope to see do very well and thus usher in a new wave of Australiana at the opera.
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.
The Dream Weaver: Guardians of Grace | Grace Lillian Lee
Each set of armour and shield represents one of Grace’s relatives, creating a physical family tree of woven sculptures. The individualised detail and numerous differences (both subtle and obvious) in each relative’s manifested representations indicates a considered and thoughtful approach to the work. The artworks seem to breathe the life story and memories of their namesakes, and while inspecting the work I could almost see the emotion poured into each stitch and weave.
Meet Your Maker | Alethea Beetson & Blak Social
Captivating and clever in its rendition, Ken Weston’s video design skills are certainly praiseworthy. Beetson’s one-woman performance doesn’t miss a beat as she sings, dances, plays instruments and interacts with these high calibre videos that unfold sequentially across the dominant screen. Her interaction with each is truly commendable and authentic in its fast-paced delivery and simultaneously, convincing enough to blur the boundary of video versus Beetson’s on-stage presence.
Lightscape | Brisbane Festival & Sony Music Entertainment
This is an epic collaboration and a must-see experience for everyone. Expect a mix of popular songs, soundscapes, curated spaces, differing uses of lights and projections within the 1.8km trail.
Kitchen Studio | Elizabeth Willing
Elizabeth Willing blended sculpture and food in a way that meant visually the two were almost indistinguishable. It also meant that as well as focusing on the food, I was also drawn to the tactile feeling of the plates, menus and tables.
The No Bang Theory | Oliver Hetherington-Page
The show itself is a delight, but it stands out against the current landscape of mainstream theatre - Hetherington-Page’s call to action for greater representation and platforming of neurodiverse artists within theatre spaces is a powerful act.
Be Iconic | Fashion Collab & Brisbane Festival
Be Iconic signified the beauty of diversity and inclusivity and freedom by redefining the runway, bringing incredible artists and community to the creative vision. This show delivered on its promise wonderfully - it was inclusive, adaptive, sustainable, and allowed people to express their individuality freely.
Volcano | Luke Murphy's Attic Projects
I knew about ten minutes into the final episode that I would be giving this work a standing ovation and did so with a swiftness I’ve not afforded another work perhaps ever, and my fellow audience members did not hesitate to join me. Haunting, evocative, captivating: Volcano is utterly brilliant, utterly utterly brilliant.
Briefs Factory on The Art Boat | Briefs Factory & Cluster Arts
Super entertaining, very festival-y in its novelty, and by far the best boat trip I’ve had down the Maiwar (Brisbane River).
Straight from the Strait | Opera Queensland, Yumpla Nerkep Foundation and QPAC
Straight from the Strait is a joyful unfolding of a History lesson taking off on the pulsating wings of soulful songs and reverberating through stamping feet carrying ancestral rhythms and wisdoms. It held me captive from the get-go and set my spirit free by the end of the night.