Glimpse the future of theatre at the immersive La Boite HWY
One of the coolest things about theatre is that it is pretty much wide open – the only thing that can actually limit a work of art is one’s own imagination, after all. Any sort of creative process is always a journey, with the audience usually only privy to the finished product. La Boite HWY has arrived to give us an open invitation and a front-row seat to the creative processes behind the curtain. From June 12–24, the La Boite Theatre will come alive with a series of creative collabs and experiences that give audiences an inside look into the workings of not only the industry, but also the immersive world of live theatre.
So what exactly is La Boite HWY? Well, the iconic Brisbane theatre is no stranger to championing emerging and independent artists – this program is pretty much a direct reflection of this. HWY is at its core an innovative work platform shaped around inviting the public to witness rehearsed readings, showings, workshops, masterclasses, and honest discussions about theatre practice – all raw and real. The annual festival encourages artists to push their limits and take further creative risks, allowing audiences to enter into a dialogue around new work and collaborate to make new ideas flourish. This year’s artists all hail from very diverse backgrounds, having been hand-picked by La Boite for their relevance and potential in the creative sector.
In a program packed with highlights, one of the must-sees at La Boite HWY program is Twelve, a ‘soul musical from the streets’ that comes from the minds of artists in residence Black Honey Company. Drawing inspiration from the very real experiences of the Brisbane floods, Hurricane Sandy in New York, Katrina in New Orleans and the landslides of Hiroshima, Candy Bowers’ reinterpretation of William Shakespeare’s tragicomedy The Twelfth Night really is an exercise in humanity. Twelve joins 14 other new works on the program which are all at various stages of development – audiences can sample the works in the form of showings, readings, pitches and demonstrations, taking the traditional performance model and turning it on its head.
To experience the immersion, you can grab tickets to La Boite HWY and check the official program through the website.
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.