AMOR | D.I.V.E. Theatre Collective
Each phrase is a delightful piece of poetry expertly delivered. I long to read the script in it’s entirety, so that what was shared could be later accessed as a source of wisdom. I contemplate returning for another night just to hear it all again. Recitals came through in various dialects and the tonality of each reminds us of love’s universality. We all can sometimes struggle in it, or thrive in it, regardless of cultural background.
“The mission is to make art accessible to all” The Affordable Art Fair 2024
The Affordable Art Fair has arrived in Brisbane / Meanjin for the first time, showcasing artwork from over 40 galleries under one roof. Upon entering the fair the scale of the event is evident. I can confidently say that I have never seen so many different artists showcased commercially in one place.
The Norman Mailer Anecdote | DOOR 3 & Queensland Theatre
Writer, Anthony Mullins, has written a ripper of a dialogue that bristles with tension and emotion. Under the deft direction of Julian Curtis, what starts off as a celebration, ends in a tangled web of lies and deceit in just under a harrowing eighty minutes.
37: The play that exposes the dark underbelly of Footy
This is an excellent show par none that can be enjoyed by both arts and footy lovers. By including the vessels of sportsmanship, authenticity, integrity and an outstanding dialogue, this quality production aptly conveys the community spirit, thrilling energy and intense physicality of this much loved and popular sport. The talented ensemble tackles the deep themes that writer Nathan Maynard covers in this play with humour, energy and a whole lot of heart particularly when the top dogs are pitted against the underdogs.
Reuben Tsang in Concert
The highlight of the day was Franz Liszt’s Rhapsodie espagnole S 254. This suggestive traditional Spanish music opened with a cadenza, included rapid chords and octaves, that was spiced with the feeling of improvisation. Tsang dazzled me with his exquisite piano techniques and I was impressed by the way he swept those 88 keys so blazingly.
Dots+Loops: Rewind
The walk down memory lane ends, and we are ushered out in the foyer for the after party. There’s a bounty of cupcakes (I told you there would be cake didn’t I?) and HipHopHoe is waiting for us with an epic and eclectic set that has the crowd dancing their socks off for the last hour and a half of the night.
So you got the grant, what’s next?
A while back I wrote an op-ed on how to prepare a grant and work with a writer on crafting a decent application. Now let’s talk about getting the first successful grant and what to do and what NOT to do. It feels like winning the lotto 100%, but stuff has just gotten real and you’re probably totally wigging out now.
Flying Arts Alliance awards record prize pool for regional artists
The QRAA exhibitions I have seen are a strong reminder that remote and regional communities regularly produce outstanding artists. The judges, Jonathan McBurnie and Fiona Foley have, through their selection, highlighted that Queensland as a whole is home to stunning contemporary art practice.
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.
Banging Denmark by Van Badham | PIP Theatre
PIP Theatre’s Banging Denmark advertises itself as a fun night of solid entertainment and it delivers on this in spades. It’s real, raunchy, and wriggles its feminism in underneath the laughs in a way that keeps it squarely in the land of entertainment rather than delivering a gender studies lecture.
“Post-genre means equity and inclusivity: every genre, every discipline, every community, has something valid to share.”
Looking at it this way, the most important aspects therefore weren’t just the pieces we programmed, or the particular genres involved, but how, and why, we do what we do. This realisation has given us so many more possibilities artistically, but also resulted in us curating using our values of social equity, non-hierarchical artistic collaboration, and celebrating community first.
Gaslight | Queensland Theatre
Under the insightful guidance of Director Lee Lewis, Wright and Jamieson’s adaptation of this Victorian Gothic theatre work has been elevated to new heights where doubt, misinformation and deception takes centre stage.
The Wolves | Ad Astra
Hill does an excellent job threading the metaphor of the team-mates being Wolves through use of physical theatre and individual movement sequences, creating an animalistic quality to their characters.
Full Spectrum | Anna Whitaker & Riley Towers
The manipulation of the footage felt both hallucinogenic and as if the data was being corrupted. With the electronic tones accompanying the visuals, the experience felt like a computer analysing footage, perhaps trying to understand human behaviour.
Art of Courage | Sophia Hodych & PIP Theatre
After an air-raid siren sounds, we were whisked away to the inner rooms, corridors, and outdoor deck of PIP Theatre, where the “choose-your-own-adventure” aspect of The Art of Courage really came into effect.
Pygmalion | Minola Theatre
To answer the question of ‘Why this play?’ and ‘Why now?’. Based on Dekker’s direction, I’d argue that it was to remind us all that just because we may have the opportunity or resources to change someone’s lives who we believe is lesser than us, it doesn’t mean that we should. I’ll let you simmer on that…
When The Rain Stops Falling | Brisbane Arts Theatre
When The Rain Stops Falling will bring you an experience of sorrow, love, life and death in the same heartbeat. This is a beautifully written and wonderfully performed theatre piece, you do not want to miss it.
“Join us for an immersive celebration of the indomitable human spirit.” Sophia Hodych on ‘Art of Courage'.
Ukraine has an unbelievably rich and complex history, some of it horrific and heartbreaking, some fun and heartwarming. Immersive theatre provides audiences with an opportunity to choose which scenes to see, what knowledge to gain and what emotions to experience.
NGPE Conversations #2: The Jodie Rottle Fight for Fun
“I wanted music to be enjoyable and funny instead of stressful and serious. Eventually, I found myself asking, why are we even doing this? Fortunately, I had some really, really fun colleagues.”
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.