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.
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.
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.
Dido & Aeneas | Opera Queensland & Circa
I found that the inclusion of movement added so much to the experience of this work. The acrobats were able to bring the more abstract, mystical, violent, grotesque, glimmering elements of Dido and Aeneas’ world to life. Each and every member of the company (both acrobat and singer) brings a level of virtuosity to their work that reminds one why these forms have lasted the test of time.
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.
WILDFLOWER | ADC Mature Ensemble
Defiance defines this performance. Defiance against those they have closed off the stage, the dancing, the community of kindred spirits. We will take what is ours to have.
“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.
Plied and Prejudice | Woodward Productions and De Bortoli
The cast is dynamic, the script is a right knee-slapper, and the audience is encouraged to drink and interact with show responsibly throughout. If you’re an Austen lover, a Bridgeton baddie, or a period drama lover in general this is the show for you; I truly can’t recommend this more highly.
Cost of Living | Queensland Theatre
Co-Director Priscilla Jackman has been relentless in pursuing the idea of staging Cost of Living in Australia for the first time when she first stumbled on the script in 2019! Working with Co-Director and star Dan Daw, the two powerhouses of the theatre world have crafted a production that goes beyond how a disability is perceived, putting the focus front and centre on the interdependence of individuals, both disabled and able bodied.
![[gameboy] | Amy Zhang](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64c498e140a63f71397ea8cc/1718763322394-3ERKI10YSQK9NAC2K6E7/Gameboy-byJadeEllis-highres-232.jpg)
[gameboy] | Amy Zhang
All-in-all [gameboy] is an evocative night of dance that can be read as a commentary on internet gaming and culture or as a thesis on the game of life and the role of intersectional identity in determining how well we are allowed play. Brilliant and evocative; legible to the intellectual and viscerally affective for those just wanting to have a good experience at the theatre. Brava.
Pacific Harmonies | Opera Queensland
One hour with Pinkasova could have easily been many; her voice, her stories, her presence were all so enchanting. The way she connects her personal history and the history of the pacific and to song is masterful; just like her vocals.
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.