Round the Twist the Musical | Queensland Theatre & QPAC
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Round the Twist the Musical | Queensland Theatre & QPAC

If you are not at all familiar with Round the Twist, just go along for the magical ride--particularly if you are looking for a pantomime alternative. Round the Twist The Musical will entertain your age 7-11 grandkids with plenty of fart and smelly feet jokes…and you can all delight in the guy getting his girl, and cheer when the bullies/baddies are defeated. 

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Big Name, No Blankets | Andrea James with Anyupa Butcher & Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher
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Big Name, No Blankets | Andrea James with Anyupa Butcher & Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher

Each of the actors presented a compelling portrayal of the members of the band. Baykali Ganambarr’s Sammy was humble, modest, honest and a great narrator of the story. Definte highlights included the fantastic vocals and performances by Cassandra Williams (Suzina, Mum & Ensemble), and the superb stage presence and singing by Taj Pigram, as the Warumpi Band frontman.

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Lighting the Dark | DanceNorth
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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.

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Horizon | Bangarra Dance Theatre
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Horizon | Bangarra Dance Theatre

If you are new to Bangarra’s work, then Horizon is for you. If you are looking for a memorable creative and cultural experience, then Horizon is for you. If you want to admire exceptional cutting-edge contemporary dance, with great music, lighting and costumes … Horizon is also for you. angarra’s Horizon is an unmissable experience.

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As Told By The Boys Who Fed Me Apples | Lachlan Driscoll
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As Told By The Boys Who Fed Me Apples | Lachlan Driscoll

There is so much to highlight from this excellent production—particularly the soundscape, acting, and production design/direction … Actors Robert Wainwright and Riley Finn Anderson communicate the fear and horrors of the journeys and battles, and build a real sense of the loving and trusting relationship established between each of the ‘boys’ and their horse.

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2024 Anywhere Festival Brisbane: Are you missing out?
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2024 Anywhere Festival Brisbane: Are you missing out?

Anywhere Festival is always a highlight of my personal year. The opportunity to visit unusual nooks and crannies across the city, and to see the imaginative ways in which local and visiting creatives transform each space.  Sadly, there is just the final weekend to go, so here are my top tips of what to see before the Festival ends this year.

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TINA: The Tina Turner Musical | TEG Dainty
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TINA: The Tina Turner Musical | TEG Dainty

Brisbane audiences will not be disappointed; this is one show that absolutely deserves to be a sellout. As my plus-one said on the opening night, this must be the best musical we have seen at QPAC. But you’d better be quick, as this show goes back on the road at the end of August.

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“Letting Disney loose on a future world is going to dredge up all sorts of chaos.” Oliver Gough on Disney Off Ice
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“Letting Disney loose on a future world is going to dredge up all sorts of chaos.” Oliver Gough on Disney Off Ice

The show is about a world we might live in and what a Disney can represent. It certainly plays with the figure of Walt, and is interested in his personality, history, and legacy… Disney’s a fascinating person; letting him loose on a future world post-cryonic unfreezing is going to dredge up all sorts of chaos from many places.

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What Will Have Been | Circa
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What Will Have Been | Circa

The three acrobats are the stars of this exceptional show that features incredible hand balance by Daniel O’Brien, a fluid and moving straps solo (and acrobatic ‘dance’) by Kimberley Rossi, and quite amazing strength work by Zac Stephens. In just over 60 minutes, the performers demonstrated their mastery of circus arts to create moments of beauty, strength, power, fear, tenderness, pain, humour, wistfulness, joy, and connection.

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Observatory Theatre: ‘What does theatre do in a post-truth, post-pandemic world?’
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Observatory Theatre: ‘What does theatre do in a post-truth, post-pandemic world?’

The Observatory Theatre team launched their 2024 Season at Yeerongpilly’s Studio1. Lachlan Driscoll (Creative Producer), Lucy Rayner-Toy (Associate Producer) and colleagues certainly have much to celebrate. In developing what Driscoll describes as ‘big, bold, ambitious theatre that responds to today,’ the 2024 Season focuses on supporting and developing new works, centred on their successful Telescope new writing program.

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Cirque Jingle | JACs Entertainment
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Cirque Jingle | JACs Entertainment

There are a lot of great choices for a festive-themed show this season, including shows that have returned for many years. It’s great to see that JACs Entertainment has produced a show that complements those choices, offering an event that is suitable for the whole family.

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Jack Sharpe and The Curse of The Forbidden Fruit | Fake Blood
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Jack Sharpe and The Curse of The Forbidden Fruit | Fake Blood

I loved the detailed research, the entertaining Harry Potter and Indiana Jones references, the story arc of the show, and the high-energy performances by each of the three artists. And I enjoyed the clever use of the apples as a metaphor for opening the eyes of performers, creatives, commentators and audiences.

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Tracker | Australian Dance Theatre
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Tracker | Australian Dance Theatre

Wiradjuri choreographer and Australian Dance Theatre Artistic Director, Daniel Riley, has brought together a talented team of creatives and artists to create a show that focuses on Daniel Riley’s exploration of the life of his Great-Great Uncle, Alec "Tracker" Riley.

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Sheltered | Kathryn Hall
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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.

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Eternity | Circa
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Eternity | Circa

I can see why Circa’s Eternity has been the elusive golden ticket of the festival: a sold-out world premiere production by internationally renowned local superstars, promising a site-specific work that brings acrobatic excellence and contemporary spiritual music to Brisbane’s St John's Cathedral.

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Break | Cecilia Martin & The Farm
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Break | Cecilia Martin & The Farm

Highlights were the directness and vulnerability with which the story was told, and the interweaving of acrobatic skills. We hear insights into the close relationship between skilled performers—including the sheer joy of ‘getting it right,’ as well as the pain and pressure of training, travel, and surgeries, and we see great use of the spinning plates, walking on broken china, incredible athleticism (and skipping), and quite amazing trapeze and aerial acrobatics.

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The Turquoise Elephant | Observatory Theatre
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The Turquoise Elephant | Observatory Theatre

As Director Lachlan Driscoll notes, ‘each character has their bonkers idea of what’s going on outside and how to cope” Carleton observes that ‘we do nothing on a grander and grander scale’. And what, the play asks us, is there to be done? Who should do it?’ In such a situation, an absurdist, black farce is absolutely the way in which to encourage audiences to face up to current reality—and to start to talk about the ‘elephant in the room’ (now, for me, forever turquoise!).

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