We don’t mean to alarm you but this weekend marks the final days of autumn. If this news has you positively shaken, we have the remedy – distracting yourself with all of the amazing things happening in Brisbane this weekend! From chicky nug festivals to cheesy laneways and sexy boylesque, we’ve found the best things happening around town on the May 24–27 weekend. more
Ever question how long the longest minute really is? The last minute before the microwave is done? Or the minute before that important interview? We've all been there. Queensland Theatre is collaborating with JUTE Theatre Company to bring The Longest Minute to QPAC from May 26 to June 23, exploring an iconic night in NRL history that rewrote the history books. more
Engage your curiosity as Mark Hadden's best selling novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has been transformed into a global theatrical phenomenon and is set to take Australia by storm. The timeless story is coming to Brisbane for the first time from June 12–24, bringing Mark's charming characters and all of their quirks to the QPAC stage. more
Look, maths definitely isn’t universally loved, but you can’t deny its force. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of numbers, it’s pretty incredible when you bring everything back to the basic notion that humans invented their own way to make sense of things that were previously impossible to comprehend. Much like maths, theatre is another avenue that people use to explain the inexplicable – and it’s a marriage of these two things that has created something close to magic. Making its world premiere at La Boite Theatre from June 2–23, The Mathematics of Longing draws from two different worlds to help us understand ourselves better. more
Mischief making and cross dressing? Sounds like a classic Shakespearean comedy to us! Follow the twisted tale of mistaken identities, separated twins and, of course, a love triangle that can still bring the laughs after 400 years. Shakespeare’s most notorious comedy Twelfth Night is taking over QPAC's Playhouse from April 28 to May 19 – and it’s bringing a musical twist. more
Although there is still a ways to go in the fight for equality and acceptance, Brisbane boasts a festival that is all about taking these struggles, throwing some glitter on them and using them as a vehicle for moving forward. Returning to its home of the Brisbane Powerhouse from May 17–27, MELT Festival is an open invitation for one and all to celebrate Brisbane’s wonderfully diverse queer communities. more
It's official – the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games have arrived! While most of the action is taking place down south between April 4–15, Brisbane will still be buzzing with a stellar program of world-class events and live entertainment thanks to Festival 2018. For 12 huge days, the city will come alive for an arts and culture extravaganza and best of all – it's entirely free. Here are our top picks for Week One of Festival 2018 in Brisbane, from Wednesday April 4 to Sunday April 8. more
Although there is still a long way to go in the fight for equality, it’s always nice to look around and take stock of the progress that has been made. Between same-sex marriage laws getting passed and the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements taking off, there is a global conversation happening around the subject of gender – particularly in regards to breaking down conventions and entering a brave new world where women speak up, stand out and have equal footing. Coming to the Brisbane Powerhouse on April 6–8, Women of the World at Festival 2018 (or WOW if you’re feeling cheeky) is a three-day celebration of everything it means to be a woman in this modern world. more
Fans of breathtaking ballet, bountiful feasts and boutique accommodation (or a combination of all three) are in for a real treat. Spicers Retreats and Queensland Ballet are teaming up for a series of truly unique experiences across three weekends and three luxury hotels, where intimate performances will be matched with exceptional cuisine, making for a one-of-a-kind getaway. more
When it comes to equal representation, Australia still has a pretty bloody long way to go. Considering our First Nations people have been here for a whole lot longer than white folk, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of people of colour in popular media. From movies to breakfast panels and even stage shows, things are looking pretty … well, white. Stuff that! There’s a new crew in town set to shake up the game and shatter some cultural paradigms in the form of song, dance and straight-up activism. Coming to Brisbane Powerhouse from April 4–7, Hot Brown Honey will have you fist pumping, booty shakin’ and leaving feeling all kinds of empowered. more
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you might be aware that a little old event called the Commonwealth Games is happening really soon. If you’re a Brisbane dweller, you might be feeling a sense of FOMO creeping up on account of our southern neighbours on the Gold Coast getting all of the hosting glory. Fear not, friends – Brisbane is getting in on the action with a huge roster of events running parallel to the Games! Festival 2018 is coming to Brisbane from April 4–15 to connect Brisbane to the exciting happenings of GC2018 – all without having to leave the city. more
While there is no way to actually predict the future (unless you believe that Paul the Octopus was an oracle and truly knew the World Cup results), there are certain events that can give us a glimpse at the shape of things to come. La Boite HWY is one such predictor, providing us with a tantalising taste of what’s in store for the landscape of Queensland theatre. This innovation festival is running at La Boite Theatre from March 12–24, inviting the industry and wider arts community to join the conversation on the outlook of Brisbane’s theatre scene. more
Real talk – regardless of your Disney fanatic status, if you haven’t seen the 1992 animated classic Aladdin you simply have not lived. It’s your classic feel-good formula of good guys and bad guys, moral conflict, dazzling romance and a hefty dose of comedy. Honestly, what’s not to love? Good news, folks – this legendary tale has been transformed for the stage and its flying on a magic carpet straight to Brisbane! From February 20, QPAC will turn into a cave of wonders for Disney’s Aladdin: The Musical – and it’s everything we could have wished for. more
Brisbane, we'd like you to meet HOTA (Home of the Arts). It's possible you've actually met before – HOTA was formerly known as The Arts Centre Gold Coast and as of today (Tuesday February 6) will be officially named Home of the Arts. This is way more than just a shiny new name – the announcement also marks the unveiling of the cultural precinct's $37.5-million outdoor theatre, which is underscored by a spectacular program of events that will take the city's arts and culture scene to dizzying new heights. If it's been a while in between trips, it's high time you ventured down to check it out. more
Any woman who has consumed any form of visual media in their life (so basically all of us living here in the first world) would be able to tell you that popular representations of females are far from realistic. Since the dawn of time we’ve had it drilled in to us that we have to look, act and live a certain way – and the pressure is bloody exhausting. Going through life without seeing other women doing the natural things we do – farting, watching porn, having periods, sleeping with strangers and the like – can lead us to believe that we are freaks of nature. If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t living up to society’s towering expectations, it’s time you got acquainted with Fleabag. Coming to the Brisbane Powerhouse from February 8–10, she’s the anti-heroine we need and the one we deserve. more
When it comes to climate change, we’re living in a particularly interesting (and increasingly worrying) time in history. Between armchair experts starting heated debates on Facebook to a leader of the free world who literally doesn’t believe that the earth’s climate is in trouble, more of us are actually being inspired to stand up and take action. Time is running out, after all. So what would you do if your beliefs were called into question and you were forced to act accordingly? If push came to shove, would you stand up and fight? The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek poses this very question, making its bold and bloody debut at La Boite Theatre from February 10 to March 3. more
When it comes to the theatre, classics certainly have their place – these are the stories that audiences have come to know and love, and thus they deserve their place in our cultural sphere as significant to the arts. However, there is a lot to be said for stepping outside of the box and taking a risk. It is in these fresh, important and exciting stories that we find a renewed sense of purpose and a different perspective, something that is to be celebrated. La Boite Theatre’s 2018 season is rooted in the company’s core values of representation, diversity and respect – which make for some pretty bloody amazing productions that have never been seen before. We’ve picked five must-see works from the theatre’s stunning offering this year – say hello to the new classics. more
If your 2018 resolution is to see more theatre, you're in luck – it's never been easier (physically or fiscally) to do so. Queensland Theatre is kicking off the new year with one heck of a deal for millennials aching for some straight-up culture. Black is the New White is set to start the 2018 season, and those 30 or under can get tickets for as little as $10. Yep, we know – it's a crazy good deal! What's even better is that Black is the New White has been receiving rave reviews, so it looks like you've made good on your resolution already. Go you! more
Time to start brushing up on your relative directions – Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show is returning to QPAC from Wednesday January 17 and you’d hate to accidentally take a jump to the right and a step to the left. more
Whether you love it or loathe it, the fact that ABBA is one of the world’s most enduring musical acts is undeniable. From sold-out halls to shopping malls and everywhere in between, the songs of the Swedish super troopers are bloody well everywhere – despite the fact that the group was at its peak back in the 70s. It makes sense that a stage musical based on the songs of ABBA would go absolutely gangbusters on account of it has all of the building blocks to be a hit – romance, heartbreak, pure joy and more than a dash of drama. The global phenomenon that is Mamma Mia! the musical is headed back to Brisbane, sweeping QPAC in a wave of pure pop brilliance from December 26 for a strictly limited season. more