Not for ... Exposure | Mad Dance House
I’m just beginning to understand the immense dance talent that’s on offer in Meanjin and I think there are many lovers of live performance like me who are finally starting to wake up to the calibre of the street performers based in our town.
Dominoes & Rum | Nicholas 'Prince' Milverton
The engaging, entertaining and punchy script does lay bare the real truth that migrants grapple with after leaving their country. It is obvious from the plot that reconnecting with one’s roots forms an integral part of identity while belonging to a community of like minded individuals is priceless. It also raises the burning question of cultural assimilation versus acceptance.
Gates | Bobbie Jones Photography & Robyn Darling Images
I loved this exhibit. I was blown away by Bobbie’s intricate framing of an object that, while regularly used, rarely occupies my mind. These gates each told a story. What I found most peculiar was how certain gates were easier than others to imagine what that story might be. I was so engulfed by some gates, while my eyes fleeted by other gates. I found the open gates most intriguing, as though they were begging me to explore what lied beyond its threshold.
Shakespeare's Othello | Queensland Theatre
On the night of my attendance, it was interesting to note the array of ages in the audience, many of whom could have been in my very own children's age category. Methinks a testament to the enduring nature of Shakespeare’s works? Impressive to note was the resounding applause, standing ovation and numerous curtain calls. Again methinks a testament to the enduring nature of Shakespeare’s works!
The Boys | Pip Theatre
One of the most poignant parts of Graham’s script is that whilst we still see women being sexually and verbally abused, most of the violence is supressed and hidden between the lines of the text. It is up to us to draw those connections and to use our imaginations, for a lack of a better term. Fight director Jason McKell and intimacy director Michelle Miall both did a fantastic job in their respective roles, making these glimpses of violence in its various forms all the more realistic and confronting.
Murder on The Dancefloor | The Mystical Menagerie
Murder on the Dancefloor was a burlesque show with a fun, interactive twist. Before the show began, we were given a piece of paper on which to make our best guess of whom the guilty party was and how they committed the murder. We then witnessed an excellent line-up of local Brisbane performers, with each act containing a weapon as the through line connecting the performances.
Queensland State Final, Australian Poetry Slam | QLD Poetry
The night’s winner [was] Anna McGahan. Her performance was truly the highlight of the competition. McGahan’s writing is lyrically complex, sonically delicious, and speaks of parenting, reparenting, shame, unconditional selfhood, and unconditional love with such a wonderous astuteness. Her victory is more than earned and I wish her the best for the national heats.
Batshit | Leah Shelton
Leah Shelton’s BATSHIT was fast and frenzied. Inspired by Leah’s grandmother’s experiences of mental illness and forced medical treatment, the show was equally intimate and hard hitting. Kicking off with an ear shattering soundscape that was brilliantly timed with the lighting design, the precision of the scenographic elements were a highlight of the show.
Ephemeral | Institute for Molecular Bioscience & Atelier Sisu
In the grand scheme most things we deal with are only temporary. Living and engaging in your current circumstances is the only way to approach life. Otherwise, we get swept up worrying about our eventual end rather than enjoying the beauty we have right in front of us.
Queen's City | Blak Social
Alethea [Beetson] has taken a refreshing approach to telling First Nations stories and has turned that singular, unbalanced narrative into a fierce, honest and sometimes searing commentary on how to move forward by showing us how to look back. The trauma and pain of our First Nations people is an indelible stain on the history of Australia. Queen’s City is an ideal example of a theatre production that can create awareness through its storytelling so that we can move forward and together as a nation (hopefully).
Gail Sorronda on the Art Boat | Brisbane Festival
I cannot imagine this show being nearly as impactful if it had taken place on a standard runway. The onboard installation could have easily distracted from the outfits or vice versa. However, The creativity and ingenuity of those involved allowed their art to complement one another seamlessly. Events such as these that celebrate local talent are critical, and it is always wonderful to see and meet the varied creatives of Meanjin.
Mosaic Multicultural Festival | Multicultural Australia & Brisbane Serenades
These are just some of the many performances featured in the massive action-packed program - there was so much content to discover. The event was so joyous and provided me with numerous insights on how multicultural Brisbane really is and its relevance to celebrate and promote. Not only that, but the audience loved seeing their own culture represented, just like a mini Olympics for the arts.
Holding Achilles | Dead Puppet Society & Legs on the Wall
And the way the tension between the two was established and then built was a masterclass. From the moment they first met and instantly hated each other, to a building of respect and trust, to the furtive, lingering glances, until that final kiss, the punters were with them every step of the way. I have never heard an audience explode with cheers and applause like they did when the pair finally kissed near the end of the first half. I’m sure that there were a number of people in the audience that also found it just a wee bit life affirming.
Cirque O L I O | JACs Entertainment
Being a semi-regular attendee of circus, I admit to a degree of scepticism towards the promise that I would see something I had never seen before. I was delighted to be proven wrong, my cynicism melting away not in what was performed, but in who performed it. I’ve seen numerous sexy hoop acts before, but O L I O made the unexpected but fantastic choice of including Adam Malone, a non-binary circus artist in its line-up.
The Call & The Human Voice | Opera Queensland
The Call and The Human Voice presents two deeply emotional, well connected stories about women who lose themselves and meet very different ends through the power of a single phone call. The latter a classic that is given a new life and a new weight in the age of social media and the other an ambitious new Australian work that while a lovely experience could have used a dramaturg on its creative team to make it a lovelier work of art as well.
Sunshine Super Girl | Andrea James & Brisbane Festival
It was heart-warming to watch audience members on both sides of the ‘court’ standing for an ovation as the actors took their final curtain call. I can’t remember the last time I lept to my feet with such joie de vivre.
Wayfinder | DanceNorth
Under the choreographic guidance of Amber Haines and Kyle Page, the versatility and improvisation of the dancers never failed to impress. Moreover the captivating solo performance by Marlo Benjamin had me mesmerised with her non-stop energetic movements that were infused with complicated floor and foot work.
The Knock 'Em Downs | Clint Bolster & Annie Lee
Lee and Bolster were painfully ambivalent, even indifferent, to anyone and everyone’s presence. And best of all, when audience’s participation didn’t cut the mustard, they made no attempt to hide their disappointment. If your ball throwing skills were aimless, you knew it. If you took too long to hand over your ticket, you knew it. If your hoop throws onto the pointy clown noses were lacklustre, you knew it. And not just because of the clown’s body language – with impatient eyes and slouched shoulders – but also because of the ‘loser’ sound que they’d hit each time someone’s efforts deserved public condemnation.
Considerable Sexual Licence | Joel Bray
I found myself looking around the room and wondered how many people had been drawn to the show from its name and hero images. If you hadn’t seen Joel Bray’s work before, you could have fooled yourself into thinking that you were able to see a titillating dance romp. Oh how wrong those punters would have been.
Mzaza on the Art Boat | Brisbane Festival
Brisbane’s Art Boat was more than a thing of beauty as it cruised on Maiwar that evening. We moved across melodies and water bodies in more ways than one. The Art Boat was a vehicle of creative expression and the universality of humankind. Like the request for an encore, it demanded that we paid attention to all that surrounded us externally and filled us internally.