Anywhere Festival set to take over Brisbane’s nooks and crannies
From synchronised swimming in Spring Hill to comedy and magic in West End, the aptly named Anywhere Festival is sure to have something on its 420-performance agenda to tickle your fancy.
Churches, swimming pools, underground reservoirs and rural railway stations are just some of the 63 different locations for the 420 performances and events featuring in this year’s Anywhere Festival. Boasting an extensive array of theatre, comedy, dance, music, magic, poetry and workshops, the festival, which will run from May 5–21, has been wowing Brisbane audiences since its inception in 2011. Last year, more than 74,000 people participated in 337 performances of 58 productions across 27 Brisbane suburbs. Now that’s a festival! This year is set to be bigger and better than ever, with the event spreading its wings beyond Brisbane to include performances in Ipswich, Logan and the Sunshine Coast.
If comedy is your cup of tea, you can’t go past award-winning UK physical comedy stars The Kagools in their Brisbane debut of Dressed for the British Summer. Playing at the Metro Arts, this high-energy family show features two silent and strange characters (think Mr Bean) who take the audience on a ridiculous adventure through the use of mime, audience participation and interactive multimedia.
Opera in the Reservoir, performed by The Underground Opera Company, will entice audiences into the depths of the 150-year-old Spring Hill Reservoir to enjoy stunning opera arias, duets and ensemble pieces by world class performers. The underground chamber makes for spine-tingling acoustics and ambience and is sure to be a performance to remember.
If you don’t mind being suitably spooked, check out The Muses Trio as they perform songs from their debut CD, The Spirit and the Maiden, at Boggo Road Gaol inside the former women’s cellblock. Experience this celebration of music composed by women, performed by women, and extend the experience with a ghost tour focusing on the lives of some of the most notorious inmates. This is one of the last opportunities to experience Boggo Road Gaol in its original condition, before it’s closed to the public in June for redevelopment.
Check out the complete program online.
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.